


Stormbringer

by Immorticon



Category: The Loud House (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, Sex, Sibling Incest, greentext
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-18 09:01:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 8
Words: 43,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28615497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Immorticon/pseuds/Immorticon
Summary: Leni's afraid of thunder, and in her fear, goes to her little brother for safety.
Relationships: Leni Loud/Lincoln Loud, Lincoln Loud/Lori Loud
Comments: 4
Kudos: 24





	1. Leni's Lightmares

**Author's Note:**

> This one has had the most change from the original postings on 4chan, which is to mean 'more than fixing spelling errors'.  
> I'll see where I can post the screencap and link it here.  
> You'll see what I mean.  
> E: https://i.imgur.com/INkchJr.png  
> Here ya go.

>Leni is secretly terrified of thunderstorms.  
>During particularly bad storms, she would force Lori to share the bed with her, and grapple her like a spider monkey.  
>She can somewhat control the panic attacks now, but if caught off guard, she’ll spook.  
>In the middle of the night, Leni wakes up to a thunderclap so strong, that it actually shakes the house a little.  
>Lori isn’t home.  
>Lincoln also woke from the thunderclap, but quickly starts to fall back to sl-  
>BAMMO  
>Leni, eyes squeezed shut, rams through the door and dives into the bed, buyring herself in the covers, and latches onto Lincoln  
>Due to the size disparity, her legs wrap around his waist, and his head is forced into her chest.  
>Lincoln quickly realizes the problem when she doesn’t react to his muffled complaints.  
> She stops hyperventilating when Lincoln returns the hug, and manages to twist his head so he could breathe.  
> Leni eventually falls back to sleep, but her grip doesn’t let up.  
>Girl has more muscle then she lets on.  
>In the morning, Leni slips out, confused as to why she was in Lincoln’s room.

>The next evening, another thunderclap.  
>Lincoln wakes up to being smothered in soft fabric and softer warmth.  
>He admits that it’s not such a bad feeling, before wriggling his head free to look at her.  
>The soft glow of the moon doesn’t help his increasingly conflicted feelings over his big sister.  
>The lavender of her pajamas complimented her skin in the low light.  
>Her hair was unkempt, but being Leni, it somehow works.  
>How does this girl do that?  
>Her full lips were tightly pursed in fear, and even then, the occasional whimper manages to squeak through.  
>Her body heat has skyrocketed from the response to the thunder, and Lincoln actually started to feel sleepy, he was so comfortable.  
>Her eyes were  
>Wait.  
>She’s wearing a blindfold.  
>Did she somehow run through her door, down a cluttered hallway without stepping on anything, open Lincoln’s door, and get in without slamming into him?  
>Good Lord, woman.  
>Another thunderclap rumbles through the sky, and Lincoln suddenly feels himself struggling to breathe as his sister collapses further into herself, dragging him into her increased density.  
>Her grip becomes almost crushing, a he starts losing sensation in his legs and left arm.  
>He sees stars when, with a bonk, Len presses her head against his.

>She starts shaking again and her choking gets worse.  
>Even in the darkness of night, and Leni’s shadow, Lincoln can see her tears pressing through the blindfold .  
>Struggling to breathe, Lincoln starts to panic.  
>He doesn’t want to die, but he also doesn’t want Leni to wake up with his mangled, crumbled form in her arms.  
>Her skin smells so nice.  
>Wait. Leni. That’s it.  
>Drawing from a previously unknown fortitude, Lincoln wrests his left arm free from between the two of them, and weakly presses his palm against her head.  
>Leni cries out in fear, and flinches away from the touch.  
>Lincoln starts to stroke, gently rubbing her temple and smoothing out her hair.  
>His vision starts to grey out, and with the last of the air in his lungs, he whispers into her chest.  
>“It’s okay, Leni…” He rasps. He could feel her heart slamming in her ribcage. “I’m…here… It’s… okay…”

>If you were even two feet away from the bed, you wouldn’t have heard his last words.  
>But Leni, bllind in panic and in the throes of night terrors, heard his words ring loudly like a bell.  
>Driving the demons from her dreams, she suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of calm and support.  
>Lincoln. Her baby brother. He’s come to save her.  
>With a content, placated sigh, Leni’s body went limp, her muscles losing its strength from the newfound calm, and releasing Lincoln from her death grip.  
>A moment passes.  
>Two.  
>Lincoln’s eyes pop open, and his mouth gapes open, sucking in as much cold air as his ravaged lungs could carry.  
>A coughing fit follows, with more ragged gasps behind.  
>“Lincoln…”

>Lincoln glances up at the source of the soft voice, just as his slumbering sister pressed her hot, soft lips against his forehead.  
>She unconsciously pulls him into another embrace, but gentler, more loving.  
>Having found an island of stability, Leni’s switches flip.  
>She gives her brother another peck, before rubbing her cheek into his hair.  
>Her arm slips under his armpit and wraps over to his shoulder and the other snakes around his waist, pressing into his lower back, nudging him closer to her.  
>Her leg shifts and wraps around his knees, drawing them in between hers.  
>She’s a damn good cuddler.  
> Who’d have figured?  
>Lincoln’s face is again pressed into Leni’s chest, but it’s not as smothering as before.  
>Her heart has slowed down, thumping rhythmically.  
>He returns the hug, wrapping his arms around her chest, rubbing her ridiculously soft jammies.  
>Seriously, is this shit satin?  
>Leni mumbles again, breathing an airy sigh.  
>The deep breath pushed her bosom against Lincoln’s face for a moment, making the boy shiver to his core.

>Whoa, What was that?  
>Brushing it off to nerves from his near-death experience, Lincoln feels the lull of slumber digging into him.  
>“Goodnight, Leni,” Lincoln whispers, closing his eyes.  
>“Ruh…minoy…habba babba…” Leni mumbles back, too deep in slumber to respond properly.  
>He rolls with it, and quickly slips into a deep sleep.  
>Leni wakes up first.  
>Tugging her blindfold off, she's momentarily confused at her surroundings, before realizing she’s in her brother’s room.  
>Again.  
>She looks down and sees her brother still snoring.  
>How did this happen?  
>They’re still wrapped around each other.  
>Leni trembles when his arms shifts and briefly rubs her back.  
>Well, it’s not so bad; Lincoln’s just the right warmth.  
>Leni decides to settle back in and wait for him to wake up, cuddling with him as she watches the clouds pass the window.  
>Lincoln wakes up a moment later, blinking the sleep out of his eyes before remembering last night.  
>He looks up to Leni peering down at him.  
>She smiles, kisses his forehead, and gently hugs him.

>“Good morning, Lincoln,” she says. “Thank you so much for last night. I was so scared.”  
>Her brow suddenly furrows in worry.  
>“...please don’t tell the others about this. They...think I’m dumb enough. I don’t want them thinkioooooohhhh…”  
>Her words slur into a pleasant groan as Lincoln dances his arms against her back.  
>She looks down through hooded eyes at his beaming face.  
>“Tell them what?”  
>Leni stares at him, before smiling again.  
>“Thank you, Lincoln,” she says, blinking away tears.  
>He always comes through for her.  
>She crushes him with another deep hug, before sliding out of bed. “Let’s get breakfast.”  
>For the rest of the day, the two were practically inseparable, hanging out together in her or his room, discussing random topics.  
>He managed to teach her a simple way to cook an egg, and it seems to have stuck.  
>In return, she taught him to make a perfect smoothie.

>Lincoln had the time of his live bonding with his sister.  
>Once you actually settle down and listen to what she’s saying, she’s actually pretty knowledgeable about things.  
>She’s not stupid, just scattered.  
>Leni also couldn’t be happier.  
>Not only is Lincoln willing to put with with her freakouts, but he spends the day keeping her company and keeping her calm from the noise of thunder.  
>He even protects her from Luan and her spider pranks.  
>Lori would just give her lip service until she's calmed down, and then kick her out of her bed afterward.  
>Late afternoon, and their sharing the TV.  
>Lincoln managed to convince her to watch one of his favourite shows, and after a couple of episodes and a bit of explaining the ideas behind it, warms up to it.  
>“My name is Steve, and I’m gonna win this competition for my team!”  
>“Wow, that’s a good attitude,” one of the announcers points out.  
>“Not really, Ken. You see, Steve Smiley is hopelessly addicted to optimism.”  
>The pair burst into laughter as poor Steve plows through most of the course before losing steam, promptly falling off while Vic and Kenny comment on this poor, poor man.  
>Seriously, watch MXC. Great show.

>They're sharing the sweet spot on the couch, with Lincoln sitting in Leni’s lap.  
>They've also draped themselves in a heavy quilt Leni made for Lincoln's birthday.  
>Only their heads can be seen, cuddling over the covers, with an odd arm breaking out to grab a sip of a smoothie.  
>Leni wipes a tear from her eye, still giggling sporadically.  
>She looks down at Lincoln, still guffawing at poor Robin Fife spontaneously donating his pancreas midcourse, scoring a point for both teams.  
>She pulls him into a loose hug, pressing her chest into his back while resting her chin on his head.  
>“Lincoln,” she singsongs. Her brother shivers at the intimacy in her touch and voice. “You’re the best little brother ever.”  
>Leni had never felt so safe and loved in her life.  
>“Thanks, Leni,” he replies, squeezing her arms in response. “You’re the b-”  
>A blinding flash of white fills the room, as a lightning bolt strikes dead center on the drive way.  
>The thunder was more of an explosion, shaking the house harder than ever before, and even causing a few photos to fall off the walls.  
>If the fury of the sky didn't deafen Lincoln, his sister's absolutely terrified shriek did the trick.  
>Her grip around him turned from loving to outright murderous, throttling most of his air out as she panics.  
>He can’t even shake the ringing out of his ears, she’s got such a grip on him.  
>Going from bad to worse, the power cuts out, plunging the living room into utter darkness, as further aftershocks of thunder trumpet outside.  
>The light spitting going on the entire week before becomes an utter downpour, sounding closer to a metal tub being filled as heavy drops collide with the roof.  
>Leni slams her head into the back of Lincoln’s, and he feels a splash of wet against his hair.  
>He hopes she didn’t just break her nose.  
>It takes a good while for him to wriggle, squirm, and slip around so he could face her.  
>She’s sobbing.  
>Tears pour down her face like the rain outside, ruining her makeup, which he momentarily mistakes for two black eyes.  
>Lincoln's heart flared with anger.  
>The blankey they’ve used to stay toast now feels frigid.  
>How dare this storm terrorize his sister. She has done nothing to deserve this.  
>Leni starts choking, struggling to breathe.  
>Her eyes spring open, her pupils pinpricks, unseeing, the whites bloodshot.  
>She sucks in as much air as possible through her clenched teeth, before diving into her brother, sobbing messily in her hysterics.  
>Lincoln pushes aside his cold fury.  
>His sister needs him now.  
>“Leni,” he whispers loudly, gently shaking her shoulders. “Leni, it’s alright. It’s alright, you’re safe. I’m here.”  
>She doesn’t respond, sobbing raggedly in her terror.  
>“Leni, please,” he begs, tears welling in his eyes now.  
>Desperate, he starts stroking her head, his fingers threading through her beautiful sunflower-yellow hair.  
>Although still weeping, Leni at least tilts her head into his touch.

>“Focus on my hand in your hair,” Lincoln whispers, reaching with his other hand to wipe her tears, smudging her makeup further in the process.  
>He takes it further and wraps it around to her neck, stroking her as gently as possible.  
>She definitely reacts to that, craning her head back in response, her shriek immediately softening into a coo.  
>He grip hasn’t lessened, but he at least has her attention.  
>Now what?  
>“...Leni,” Lincoln singsongs softly, struggling to be heard over the din outside. “You’re the best sister ever.”  
>A moment passes. Two. Lincoln’s eyes have fully adjusted to the darkness. Leni’s lips are parted, breathing heavily. Her heart is still hammering, but it’s no longer slamming as it was before.  
>Lincoln leans in.  
>He presses his lips against hers. There's the barest pressure.  
>Her lips taste exquisite.  
>Who knew watermelon and pomegranate were such good bedfellows? Good choice of smoothie, kid.  
>He pulls back. She’s dead silent aside from the odd huff.  
>“I love you,” he whispers, hoping this does the trick.

>Aside from the cacophony of rain outside, the room is deathly silent.  
>Eventually, Leni cracks her eyes open. They’re even more bloodshot now, and she’s struggling to breathe through her nose.  
>“L-...Lincoln?” she croaks. Her night vision is terrible; she can barely see.  
>Lincoln lowers his hand so it’s cupping her cheek, stroking along the bone. “Leni, it’s okay. It’s okay, I’m here. I’m here. I’m not gonna to leave you.”  
>She leans into his hand, taking a calm breath for the first time since she freaked out.  
>“I’m not going to leave you,” he repeats. His hand feels wet from a fresh pouring of tears.  
>She hiccups. Lincoln blinks. Leni actually hiccuped.  
>“Lincoln…” Another hiccup. His heart trembles. “I don't...want to be scared anymore.”  
>She clutches him again, burying her face into his shoulder.  
>She starts crying again, but it isn’t nearly as bad.  
>This isn’t a fight or flight response, but a genuine outpouring of emotion.  
>Lincoln reaches behind her and starts rubbing her back, helping coax out more of distress.  
>“It’s okay, Leni. Let it out,” he whispers, rocking his sister the best he could. His legs have cramped out a while ago. “I won’t let it hu-”  
>“PFFFFFTTTTT”  
>He freezes. She stops crying.  
>“...Leni? Did you just blow your nose on my shirt?”  
>“...s-sorry.”

>Leni pulls back, looking down at Lincoln.  
>He smiles, and offers her his sleeve.  
>Her smile is shakier, but she accepts the gift, wiping her tears and the last streaks of her makeup.  
>Lincoln hears her mumble something under her breath.  
>“Pardon?”  
>She blushes. “Huh? Oh, uh… Heh. D-did...did you mean it?”  
>“Mean what?”  
>Leni looks away and starts fiddling with her hair. “Y-you know. That I’m best… sister,” her voice dropped to almost a whisper. “And that you love me…”  
>Lincoln takes her hand away from her hair, squeezing her palm in his own.  
>“...I did. I mean, I do.”  
>Her eyes are still on the floor. “Really?”  
>“Of course.”  
>"Really really?"  
>"Leni."

>She finally looks at him. Her eyes well up again, before she closes them.  
>She leans in.  
>Her lips press against his.  
>Her hair spills over and brushes against his face.  
>Her breasts smoosh into his collar bone.  
>Oh God, how can her lips taste so sweet.  
>She pulls back. She’s breathing deeply.  
>Her eyes are lidded again, like from this morning.  
>“I love you too,” she whispers, her voice throaty.  
>Lincoln shivers at her voice.  
>His eyes dart between her eyes and her lips.  
>Her.. soft, plump lips.

>He wants to kiss her.  
>He needs to kiss her.  
>He leans in and returns the smooch, pushing her back against the couch.  
>Leni murmurs in pleasure, her arms laying limp beside her.  
>She returns the kiss, tasting the smoothie on his lips as well.  
>Lincoln finally pulls his dead legs out from under him, making him drape himself over her body.  
>Leni gasps at the sudden weight on her torso. But she likes it.  
>Her face is burning now. Her arms move, snaking her hand under Lincoln’s shirt, feeling his light muscles and the odd bone poking through the skin.  
She shifts her legs, so his waist slips between them.  
>Want.  
>Lincoln shudders again. His hands fight back, his left gripping her thigh for leverage, the other firmly holding her side through her sweater.  
>Leni moans, her heart starting to race again. She’s kissing Lincoln. Her baby brother. She loves him.  
>Need.

>Lincoln’s legs start coming back to life, allowing him to push his weight further into her.  
>WANT.  
>Leni breaks the kiss, hissing appreciatively at his assertions.  
>Her breath is shaky. She shoves back, mashing her lips into his, pressing her tongue against his lips as her legs wrap around his waist.  
>NEED.  
>Lincoln struggles to understand the emotions and sensations he’s feeling right now. Why did Leni wrap her legs around him? What is she trying to do with her tongue? Why does he want to do the same with his?  
>His legs, fully alive and tingling, pushes against the cushion, trying to force their bodies as close as possible.  
>His hand releases her thigh, darting up to her sweater.  
>It slides against the fabric.  
>He tries again.  
>It slides against her stomach, eliciting a surprised giggle.  
>Third time's the charm.  
>His hand moves again.  
>Stay on target.  
>It rubs against her thigh.  
>You’ve turned off your targeting computer. What’s wrong?

>His fingertips pushes against the hem of her sweater.  
>Moment of truth!  
>Roll to pin the titty!  
>THE TABLE LEANS IN!  
>NATURAL! FUCKING! TWENTY!  
>His fingers slip under her sweater, gliding up to its target.  
>She’s not wearing a shirt underneath the sweater.  
>Her skin is fucking boiling.  
>His palms rubs against her ribs.  
>Leni breaks the kiss again, throwing her head back to breathe.  
>“L-Lincoln,” she mumbles.  
>He can’t reach her lips anymore.  
>He latches onto her neck the exact moment his hand wraps around her breast.  
>She sighs out a moan.  
>Like an Alto holding a perfect C.  
>Incredible.  
>*Vrrnnhh...*

>The sudden noise breaks their fervour.  
>With a flicker, the lights turn back on, and the room floods with the ambience of appliances starting up.  
>Lincoln looks at Leni.  
>Her makeup is ruined, but she is so beautiful.  
>Her eyes are still red from crying, but they aren’t as bad now.  
>She looks down at Lincoln, smiling happily. Her skin is flushed.  
>She frowns, staring intently right behind him.  
>Muttering an apology, she gently pushes her brother off of her before scurrying off.  
>Her feet stomp up the stairs as Lincoln struggled to control his breathing.  
>He can still taste her in his mouth.  
>He glances at the hand that was just up her shirt.  
>He flexes his fingers, estimating her cup size from memory.  
>A scream from upstairs shunts the last of his daze from his mind.  
>“Leni?!”  
>No answer.

>Lincoln bolts for the stairs.  
>“Leni?! Are you okay?!”  
>He scales the stairs faster than Lynn ever could.  
>He turns the corner, beelining for the light flowing out o-  
>BAM  
>He reels back just in time, narrowing avoiding the bathroom door slamming into his face.  
>“NOT NOW!”  
>Lincoln bangs on the door. “Leni, what’s wrong?!”  
>“GO AWAY!”  
>“I’M NOT LEAVING UNTIL YOU TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED!”  
>“I SAID DON’T COME IN!” His sister shrieks, echoing through the empty hallway. “I LOOK HIDEOUS!”  
>Lincoln grumbles in annoyance.  
>She’s freaking out over that?  
>A wardrobe malfunction?  
>Women.

>Lincoln goes into his room to change his shirt.  
>He whistles as he sees firsthand his sister’s handiwork all over his shoulder and sleeves.  
>Okay, maybe she was onto something.  
>Maybe.  
>Glancing at the clock and seeing how late it was, Lincoln decides to change into his jammies.  
>The bathroom door is still closed as Lincoln goes back downstairs.  
>He pulls back the quilt, wincing at how moist the seat got.  
>How did her tears get this far down?  
>Lincoln turns the TV back on, grateful that the MXC marathon is still on.  
>Fifteen minutes later, he hears a door click open upstairs.  
>Footsteps padding to another room.  
>Quiet shuffling.  
>Then more footsteps.  
>The floorboards creaks as Leni comes back downstairs.  
>Despite the fresh makeup, Lincoln can still see her flush.

>She sits down beside him.  
>For several moments, they sit in silence, watching the TV and the antics of Vic and Kenny.  
>Lincoln keeps glancing at Leni, watching her fidget and shift with greater worry each time.  
>When the episode ends, Leni cleared her throat.  
>“Um…” She starts.  
>He can barely hear her, her voice is so low.  
>He stares intently at her lips.  
>Her... soft, warm lips.  
>No.  
>Down boy.  
>Stop that.  
>“Do you...um…” Leni starts shivering.  
>She always starts shaking when her nerves start fraying.  
>“Ehm...Lincoln, do you want… to sit in my lap again?”  
>The last words were barely even audible.  
>Lincoln stares at her, dumbfounded.

>He thought he ruined everything with that cop.  
>She won’t look him in the eye.  
>She’s chewing on her knuckle now.  
>Without a word, Lincoln gets up. He walks towards the stairs.  
>Leni hangs her head, her shoulder visibly sagging through the thick wool of her jammies.  
>Lincoln grabs the quilt from the corner of the couch.  
>He turns around.  
>She glances up at him, surprised.  
>Her blush flares up again as he face away from him.  
>“Hup.”  
>And plops down onto her lap.  
>Heavily.  
>“Boof!”  
>How many bricks does this kid carry?  
>Leni instinctively wraps her arms around Lincoln’s waist as he drapes the quilt over them.  
>Leni shifts her legs so they’re cross legged, giving Lincoln something more solid to sit on.  
>They watch TV in relative silence, adjusting their posture now and again, trying to get comfortable without using the sweet spot.

>They finally get a good setup.  
>Leni leans back, reclining against the couch.  
>Lincoln lies back against Leni, resting his head on her collarbone.  
>Content at last, she sighs happily, squeezing her brother in a loose hug.  
>Eventually, the sense of safety and peace return to the two.  
>Every now and again, Leni squeezes Lincoln, plants a soft kiss on his head, or just nuzzle his head with her cheek.  
>Lincoln returns the favour best he can, squeezing her arms or kissing her shoulder.  
>A loud clap of thunder rumbles through the air.  
>Lincoln holds his breath as Leni’s arms tighten.  
>He feels her lips press tightly against his head.  
>She starts to hum loudly.  
>Ten seconds later, she relaxes.  
>“Wow Leni, you did great there.”  
>“Thanks. It’s...easier when I’m holding you.”  
>“Aw.”

>An hour or so later, vanzilla can be heard pulling into the driveway.  
>A moment after that, the door clicks open.  
>Mom, dad, and everyone else piles in.  
>Lori walks in last.  
>The shadows under her eyes and the firm, curving line of her lips make it clear she’s not happy.  
>She’s the only one to notice Lincoln and Leni cuddling in the couch, to preoccupied with each other to-  
>Hold up.  
>Lori rubs her eyes.  
>She looks at the clock.  
>2 AM.  
>She waits for everyone else to go into their rooms before approaching them.

>“Alright, you two,” she says. Leni squeaks in surprise, her face going scarlet. “It’s too late. Go to bed. Now.”  
>Lincoln yawns loudly.  
>“Jeez,” Lincoln grumbles, “Time flies when having fun. Wanna go to bed?”  
>Leni mumbles in protest, not wanting to get out of the bliss they’re in.  
>Eventually she gives in and lets him go, leading her to the bathroom to clean up.  
>Lori watches them as they leave the living room.  
>She’s still annoyed she had to drive the entire trip back h-  
>Hold on.  
>She rubs her eyes and looks at the two going upstairs.  
>Were they…?  
>She squints. God, why do her eyes hurt so much?  
>Whatever. She’ll deal with this tomorrow.  
>Lori waits for them to finish in the bathroom.  
>She wants some alone time, however brief it may be.  
>She pushes past Leni as they exit, shooting an annoyed glare at her before closing the door.  
>She knows what happens on these nights.

>Fifteen minutes later, she enters her room, finding Leni combing her hair.  
>“I see that Lincoln has been keeping an eye on you,” she says, her tone even.  
>Leni blushes. “Yeah...Lincoln’s been, like, a big help for me. He even-”  
>Lori raises her hand. “Save it for the morning. I’ve driven for fifteen hours. I need to sleep.”  
>She crawls into her bed, as Leni does the same.  
>“I know how you feel about thunderstorms, so I’ll let you come in if you mind the rules. When you calm down, get back in your own bed. Got it? Goodnight, Leni.”  
>Leni doesn’t answer. She lays in her bed, staring the ceiling. She’s thinking of Lincoln.  
>Lori quickly falls asleep, snoring softly in the darkness.  
>Leni looks over at her sister, a pang of jealously knotting in her stomach.  
>Lori was just as afraid of thunder as she was growing up. They used to hold each other in their sleep whenever it stormed.  
>She glances nervously upwards, not at the ceiling, but through it, imagining the sky full of angry clouds.  
>But when they hit puberty, Lori started pushing her away, demanding more space for herself with every year.  
>Lori's fourteenth birthday present was her own bed. It took two years of Leni begging and crying to convince her to remove the privacy shade.  
>Now, Lori’s calmed down about her obsession with personal space and privacy, but there’s only so much she could tolerate.  
>Just then, a loud crack of thunder rang through the sky.

>Leni flinches, crying out as quietly as she could. She nervously glances over at Lori.  
>She’s still asleep. Thank God.  
>Normally, Lori would be more understanding. But even Leni could tell how badly sleep deprived she is.  
>A sleep deprived Lori gets downright vicious. At least she apologizes in the morning if she starts kicking.  
>Another crack of thunder booms outside, louder this time.  
>Leni slams her pillow over her face, muffling her screams. Her joints lock up in terror.  
>When she calms down again, she’s near tears.  
>She can’t keep this up. She needed someone now. She needs...she...she…  
>Her mattress creaked softly as Leni steps out of her bed.  
>Lori is instantly awake. And she is not happy.  
>“...two minutes,” is all she whispers. Her voice is dripping with acid.  
>Lori starts counting in her head.  
>One…  
>Two…  
>Three…  
>…  
>Twenty-two…  
>Twenty-thr--alright, what’s going on?  
>“Well?” She asks, rolling over to glare her sharpest daggers at…  
>...an empty room. The door is cracked open.  
>“...Leni?”

>Curiosity now overtakes her annoyance.  
>Lori creeps out of her shared room, glancing towards the bathroom first to see is she’s in the bathtub again.  
>No sign.  
>“Where did that moron go…?” Lori wonders aloud. She looks down the hallway.  
>She freezes, then quickly pulls back, hiding behind the door as she spies on Leni.  
>Leni nervously stands in front of a door. She timidly reaches for the knob, hesitating briefly, before opening the door and slinking in, closing the door behind her.  
>Lori shakes her head, clearing the cobwebs of sleep and exhaustion.  
>Who’s room is that? Why did Leni not come to her like she always does?  
>Was she holding Lincoln’s hand when they went ups-  
>Lincoln?  
>Lori’s eyes snap open. A multitude of possibilities flash in her rattling mind.  
>“No,” she whispers, more in refusal than anything else.  
>There’s...there’s no way that’s happening… is there?

>Sheer, freezing worry now overrides Lori’s curiosity.  
>As quietly as she could, she tiptoes towards Lincoln’s room.  
>Her night vision is better than her sister’s, so she manages to avoid stubbing her toe or stepping on the cat.  
>Her hands are trembling as she approaches his room. His door is open a crack.  
>She reaches for the knob. She unconsciously holds her breath.  
> Pushing the door open, she instinctively stops short of the creaking angle, and steeling herself for what is to come, she peers in.  
>Leni’s form can be seen in the darkness, her back to the door.  
>Lincoln sleeps besides her, cradled in her arms.  
>They’re both out cold.  
>Leni snorts in her sleep, and mumbles something.  
>“Rrrruuhhhhh...nnn rooll…”  
>She buries her face in his hair, squeezing him like an old, familiar plush, and slumbers quietly again.  
>The room lights up as a flash of lightning arced across the sky. A low rumbles groans shortly after.  
>Lori flinches at the bang, but after a few seconds manages to overcome the anxiety.  
>Leni whimpers softly, shivering in her sleep.  
>Lincoln simply grunts, squeezing her in a loose hug.  
>Her whimpers turn to mumbles of affection as she calms down.  
>She kisses his head, slipping back into good dreams.  
>Lori realizes she’s standing in her brother’s room now, staring down at them together.  
>She slips back out, closing the door silently.  
>After creeping back into her room, she slumps against the door, rubbing her pounding temples.  
>“You’re losing it, Lor,” she mumbled. “What on earth were you thinking? There’s no way they’d do that.”  
>She forces herself back onto her feet, dragging herself back into her bed.  
>“Goodnight, L-...” she catches herself, and numerous odd emotions wash over her, even as the crushing tide of sleep starts washing over her.  
>Why didn’t Leni come to her?  
>What did Lincoln do to make her choose him?  
>The last question she thought of makes her stomach turn to ice, before she slips into her own troubled dreams.  
>...Is she not good enough, anymore?

Chapter One: Leni's Lightmare  
~Fin~


	2. Lori's Lamentations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lori comes home, and the apple doesn't fall far from the other apples that fell from the same tree that dropped all those apples.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At this point, I actually watched more than two episodes, but was still struggling with where to go.  
> You should have seen the first few goes, it was a mess.  
> Actually, don't.  
> Stay away from the archives.

>Lori's eyes open.  
>They don't snap open, they don't crack open. They open normally, as if she just blinked.   
>Which may as well have been the case, the past six hours haven't helped the anxiety at all.  
>She had assumed that, once Storm Week, or as Leni put it, "Scary Big Boom Time" passed, she would stop bunking with Lincoln and come back to her.  
>She blinks.  
>Room. Come back to her room.  
>She squeezes her eyes shut. Her head is pounding again.   
>Where did that come from?  
>She rolls over and gazes at her sister's side of the room.  
>Leni's bed is empty. The covers are pulled back. A couple of her stuffed animals are missing, too.  
>Rolling onto her back, Lori states blankly at the ceiling. She woke up because she can't hear her sister snoring and mumbling.  
>Distantly, she thinks she should feel anger at this seeming betrayal. Or fear of her future abandonment.  
>She's always wanted her own space to herself. And now that she has it...she doesn't feel anything.  
>And she has no one to blame but herself.

>With a groan, she forces herself off the bed and onto her feet.  
>She glances at the clock.  
>She winces as 5:42 glares back at her.  
>May as well make her rounds before she gets to business.  
>In the entire week since Lori and the other had that impromptu road trip to Aunt Shirley's, Leni has only slept in her bed once.  
>And that was at Lori's urging.  
>It was the first time there was any colour to her day.  
>Lori reaches for the knob. Her hand starts trembling again. She's had no strength for the last couple days. Not since her fight with Bobby, after she came home.  
>At the thought of Bobby, her hand starts jittering harder than Nana Loud holding a lightswitch. She takes a slow breath and stares at her hand.  
>Through sheer fortitude and more than a little intimidation, her quivering palm stops shaking. It slowly wraps around the doorknob, and with a click, cracks it open.  
>Lori takes a quick peek down the hall first.  
>She can see better in the dark than most of her sisters, but she's still grateful the moon is out right now. Aside from Lynn and Lucy's door being partially open, all the others firmly closed.  
>Time for the rounds.  
>Lori steps out of her room and creeps down the hall.

>Being closest, she starts with Luna and Luan's room. She first pulls lightly on the door, then twists the knob, swinging it open fully. That's the only way to avoid the hinges creaking.  
>Luna and Luan's room is the hardest see, usually. Their window faces the tree, meaning there's almost no light coming in at night.  
>Thankfully, Luan left the TV on, bathing the room in a soft, snowy glow. Again.  
>Speaking of, there she is, draped over her beanbag chair, not ten feet from said TV. Again.  
>"Snrk. Guk!"  
>Well, there's Luna. Snoring away like usual.  
>Lori takes a step in before she stops. She listens carefully.  
>"Snrk...Guk. Hrugh-gh-gh....Snrk."  
>There it is.  
>Lori walks in with impunity. That Godawful death rattle that woman makes is a clear sign she's out cold for the night. Nothing short of throwing her in the tub or down the stairs would wake her.  
>She frowns, seeing her arm hanging over the banister.  
>That reminds her, she needs to apologize for that in the morning.  
>Luan, however, is a relatively light sleeper. Aside from the snoring, she'll wake up to an outside noise, even an odd footstep.   
>Thankfully she tends to wear her headphones when on the beanbag. She was watching a movie again, maybe?  
>More thankfully, she's a deep sleeper otherwise. Slipping the headphones off, Lori gently hefts up the slumbering standup and carry her to her bunk.  
>As Lori pulls the covers over her, Luan cracks her eyes open and glances up, blearily eyeing her sister.  
>Lori freezes.  
>One.  
>Two.  
>Three.  
>Four. Now.  
>She sniffs loudly and clicks her teeth four times.  
>Luan's eyes droop down again, and she's out like a light.  
>It pays to have experience.  
>Lori puts Luan's lappy back on her desk, places Luna's axe back in its case, and clicks the TV off, plunging the room into darkness.  
>Closing the door, she makes for the next frame down the hall.

>Lori approaches the black door.  
>Tilting the knob as hi up as she can, she rolls the knob around its loose joint, popping the lock with a click.  
>Maintaining its position and twisting it, the entrance pops open and she peers in.  
>Lynn's made a nest of balls and sporting equipment. Again.  
>She's not under the covers, either.  
>She's wearing that stupid lucha libre mask again, too.  
>Lori pinches her nose. She'll deal with the sport freak in a minute.  
>Now, Lucy's...  
>Where's Lucy?  
>Lori squints at the goth's bed. She presses her palm against the mattress. Then slowly sweeps along the length of it.  
>Empty.  
>She looks up at the...  
>She can't think of the word. Top of the bed. Roof. Whatever.  
>Ok. She's not tied there again. That's good and bad.  
>Lori freezes, then slowly looks behind her.  
>The closet. Great.  
>In all her years, Lori has never been able to open it without producing some noticeable noise.  
>But there's a always another way.  
>She gets on her knees and leans in, pressing her ear against the slats of thin wood.  
>...  
>Nothing. Uh oh.  
>Where else is there that she could be h-  
>"Lori."

>Lori slaps her hands to her mouth to muffle her gasp.  
>One of these days, she's going to make the little goth wear a damn dingly bell if it's the last thing she does.  
>She glares down at her little sister. "What are you doing awake?"  
>"What are you doing, awake, in my room?" Lucy retorts.  
>"Doesn't matter," Lori answers, a little quickly. "Go to bed. Now."  
>She maintains eye contact with Lucy, staring her down while asserting her authority.  
>Well, at least she think she's staring her down.  
>With the thick curtains closed, it's almost impossible to see in here.  
>A couple moments later, Lucy sighs. With a vocal "Sigh. Fine."  
>She climbs into her bed and lays there.  
>If Lori didn't know better, she'd think she wasn't breathing.  
>But that's Lucy for you.  
>Wait. Lynn, that's right.  
>Crap.  
>With a quiet sigh, she turns to the sports dork. She's actually buried herself a little in her nest.  
>Keep it together, Lori. At least she's not curled up outside Lincoln's room again.  
>Carefully excavating the slumbering Lucha, she places her on the far end of the bed, spending a few minutes storing the equipment into her sports chest. Everything put away, Lori drags Lynn back to the head of the bed, rolling the mask off her as she does.  
>Hmm. That wasn't so bad this time. Usually she'd take a-  
>Fwhipp  
>There it is.  
>Lynn wasn't joking when she called herself a sleep-fighter.  
>Lori's gotten more than a couple bloody noses fixing her bed.  
>Her work complete, she double checks Lucy. Still there, good.  
>She quietly slips out, of the room, leaning in to watch Lucy for another moment.  
>Still there. Perfect.  
>Lori closes the door, and moves on.

>Lori tiptoes to the twin's room next.  
>She presses her ear against against the wood.  
>Snoring.  
>Different snoring.  
>The odd chirp, buzz, and hiss of various animals Lana has captured this week.  
>Good enough.  
>Lori's not stupid. She does want to check up on Lola and Lana, but she's not risking having the wildlife cause a scene, and make her have to explain her reason for sneaking in.  
>Not this time.  
>Next up, Lisa and Lilly.  
>She approaches the smooth white door.  
>And promptly passes it.  
>Lisa's upped security again.  
>"Patent protection" she calls it.  
>Or so she claims. But she's not willing to risk calling that bluff.  
>Lola and Lana are one thing, but Lori's not going to enjoy being tased, and then deal with a screaming baby at six AM.  
>Ok, last stop.  
>Lincoln's room.  
>Lincolns' and...  
>Lori's stomach lurches painfully.  
>She forces it to calm down, before continuing.  
>Lincoln's room. Guest starring Leni.  
>Nervously, the oldest sister of the Loud Family presses her ear against the door, holding the knob steady. Leni never closes his door.  
>Like she wants people to come in and see them.  
>She closes her eyes and tries to focus.  
>Why in the world the old linen closest of all things be the most insulated room in the upper floor, she'll never know.  
>Wait.  
>Oh, no. It's just Cliff.  
>Wait, was th-  
>"Cliff, go away."  
>With a light boot to the bum, the cat murmurs with a "Mmmrmmm?" and wanders off downstairs.  
>Lori tries again. She focus on what's going on beyond the door.  
>She can smell Leni's perfume.

>Soft murmuring  
>Bodies shifting against the sheets.  
>Two different sets of snores.  
>They're in there, alright.  
>Struggling to calm her frayed nerves, Lori steeled herself, and nudged open the door.  
>The soft glow of the moon gave the room a gentle, silvery glow.  
>She has to admit, under normal circumstances, this would be an incredibly romantic setting.  
>If the writers could pull it off, of course.  
>Leni's wrapped all over Lincoln. Lori frowns.  
>Extremely close proximity.  
>Roaming hands.  
>Kisses.  
>Whispering sweet nothings.  
>And now they're sleeping over the covers, their body temperature keeping each other warm.  
>This is the third time she's found them like this.  
>The knots in her stomach tighten, and she struggles to keep herself under control.  
>She has to put her foot down. She needs to talk to them, make them understand that this is not who th-  
>"Leni?"  
>"Hmm...Yeah, Lincoln?"  
>Clasping the doorjamb for leverage, Lori swings herself out the door and against the wall behind the bed. Her hands glued over her mouth to muffle her gasping, she listens now to the siblings' talk.  
>Stupid.  
>They were awake.  
>She didn't check for synchronized breathing.  
>How could she miss t-  
>"I need...advice."

>Lori takes a risk and checks her phone.  
>No messages.  
>Wait, no.  
>Stop that. Focus, woman.  
>5:57 AM.  
>Outside of Lori, not a single person is awake between four and six-thirty.  
>A dead hour.  
>They planned this.  
>They wanted the privacy for this conversation.  
>"Aw, does my Widdle Wilcoln have a cwush?"  
>"First of all, stop that. Second of all, N...no. Maybe. I don't know. It's just..."  
>A crush? Maybe there's hope after all.  
>"I just...don't know what to do when it comes to girls. How to talk to them. How to impress them. Tickling."  
>"Vrrrrnnnn"  
>Lori's eyes dart down to her phone.   
>One new message from: Bobby <3  
>Not now.  
>"Oh. Hmm, sorry. I just can't get enough of your hair. Listen, I know what you're feeling."  
>"Vrrrrrnnn."  
>Two unread messages from: Bobby <3  
>Not. Now. Bobby.  
>She hears Leni plant a few kisses on Lincoln.  
>"Tell you what. I'm free Tuesday. We'll go see a movie, have a cheap dinner. Just the two of us!"  
>Oh no.  
>"What, like a date?"  
>Oh God, please, no.  
>No.  
>"Not a date. Not really. It's just to show you what to do to impress a girl."  
>"So a not-date."  
>"Vrrrrrnnnnn."  
>NOT NOW BOBBY.  
>Lori, frustrated now at her phone, quickly tweaks the settings.  
>There. Vibrate's off. Now, what are they s-  
>"Ooh! Get me away from here I'm dying !Play me a song to set me free-"  
>She turned on her ringtone. Stupid. Stupid girl.  
>"Lori? Is that you?"  
>OH SHI-  
>Don't panic, Lori. Think. What are you doing loitering outside your brother's room at this hour?  
>"At the final moment, I cried, I always cry at endings"  
>Wait, that's it.  
>Lori shakes her head, takes a quiet breath, and steels herself for what she must do.

>"Beh, Uh? Wh-where am Iouh!"  
>Lori drops like a rock onto the carpet.  
>"W-why am I in the hallway? What...what time is?"  
>"Lori?"  
>She looks up. Lincoln's leaning his head out of his room. Worry is painted on his face.  
>"Is everything Ok? Why are you right outside my room?"  
>Ok, so far, so good. Now for step two.  
>Breathing heavily, Lori ties shaking the cobwebs out of her head.  
>"I-I-I don't know. I was dreaming of B...Bobby, and then I hear the phone ringing, and I reached for it an-"  
>A cool, soft hand rests against her cheek. Despite herself, Lori leans into it.  
>"You just had a bad dream. It's Ok. Come on, stand up, let's get you to your room."  
>Lori grins internally. Hook, line and si-  
>She glances down as she shakily stands up.  
>Oh dear God he's only in his underwear.  
>She stares at her brother, taking it all in despite her internal screaming.  
>He's definitely hitting puberty at full speed.  
>He's grown taller, his limbs are getting longer.  
>He's got a few whispy strands of hair on his chest.  
>He's losing his baby fat. She can definitely see some muscle in his arms.  
>His face is becoming a little defined. There's a hint of cheekbone and chin.  
>He's definitely lost weight, though. She'll have to talk to him about his diet later.  
>That cooling palm lets go and grasps her hand.  
>"Come on, let's get to bed."  
>She lets him take charge, leading her back to her and Leni's room.  
>Oh. Right.  
>"It's still Sunday, Lori. Get some sleep, Ok?"  
>She doesn't respond to his encouragement, or his hug to her.  
>Unlike his hand, he's practically radioactive with heat.  
>It's a very comfortable heat, though. Soothing, even.  
>A small wave of calm washes over Lori. Despite herself, she feels compelled to do as he asks.  
>She simply grunts to him, though. Turning on her heel, she goes into her room and closes the door in his face.  
>He'll forgive the rudeness. He always does.

>Keeping up appearances, Lori goes to her bed, sits down, and counts to thirty.  
>At thirty, she gets up and almost runs to her door. She cracks it open, peering out down to Lincoln's room, straining her ears to pick up the conversation.   
>Something.  
>Anything.  
>Even though his door is still wide open, she barely pick anything up.  
>Only snippets of their plans on Thursday, pretend something, act something else.  
>Forget it.  
>"Ooh! Get me away from here I'm d-"  
>In a flash, Lori's phone is in her fist, about to be slammed into the wall at relativistic speed.  
>She stops. Then looks at the phone.  
>"Bobby <3"  
>She blankly stares at the screen.  
>Play me a song to set me free,  
>Nobody writes them like they used to  
>So it may as well be me!  
>She sighs. She swipes the green icon, and raises the phone to her ear.  
>"Hello?"  
>"Babe! It's me, Bobby!"  
>"Bobby, hey," she replies, realizing just how dry her throat's been.  
>They had a fight a couple days after that trip. Four days without talking to each other, that's a record.  
>But he comes crawling back, asking for forgiveness. Like always.  
>They arrange a meeting later today. After work, Lori will meet up with Bobby and go see a movie, then do whatever comes next.  
>Finishing the call, Lori slumps against the door, sliding down until she's firmly on the carpet.  
>She could smell her all over Lincoln.  
>Her perfume.  
>Her shampoo.  
>Her scented lipstick.  
>Her skin.  
>A flash of anger passes over her, before quickly dying out.  
>He should have come to her.  
>She should be the source of advice.  
>Now, jealousy wells up in her. Grimy, poisonous jealousy.  
>She's the oldest. She knows the most about dating.  
>Hell, Leni has only been on one date in her life. And after that crisis, Lori's took it upon herself to screen potential suitors, for her own safety.  
>A lot of people at school know she's not exactly a genius. A lot of people would gleefully take advantage of that.

>But Lincoln...  
>No.  
>There's no way he would take advantage of her trust, of her naivete.  
>He's eleven, for God's sake! He's still tying his shoes like a four-year old!  
>And like that, the fire's gone cold. The ashes fully dead.  
>Lori's too physically drained to stand up, so she crawls to the closest bed.  
>Leni's.  
>Dragging herself into her Leni's bed, Lori struggles to keep it together.  
>A few tears plop into the sheets.  
>She's failing miserably.  
>Stiffling her sobs, she pulls the cover over her, and tearfully sniffs her sister's pillow.  
>The aroma of her shampoo helps calm her down, if only a little.  
>She'll talk to them tomorrow. She will.  
>The bed feels empty. Cold.  
>She has to.  
>She misses her.  
>Lori told herself that she didn't dream before checking on everyone.  
>She lied.  
>She did dream.  
>Vividly.  
>Lori spends the morning rocking to and fro in her sleep, tormented by visions of Leni and Lincoln together.  
>Intimately.  
>Without a care in the world who knew or saw or heard.  
>As she sobs in the background, begging them to stop.  
>Please.  
>Stop this horribleness.  
>Worst of all, her body reacts to the nightmare as if it were just another adolescent fantasy.  
>She'll have to change Leni's sheets in the morning.  
>Oh, horribleness...

>Lori pulls into the driveway, cutting the engine.  
>It's only eight-thirty, but the clouds are getting bad again.  
>Radio said there'ds be another string of storms. Great.  
>It's been a long day, but worthwhile.  
>Work went relatively smoothly, and she dumped Bobby without too much whining.  
>She wasted ninety days of her life, but telling him off like that?  
>That felt good.  
>As she opens the door, the sheer silence catches her off guard.  
>Usually there's a huge clamour at this time.  
>"Hello?" She calls out.  
>"Hi Lori!" Lincoln calls from the kitchen.  
>She can smell eggs from the door.  
>"Where is everyone?"  
>"No idea, but there's a note for you."  
>Lori enters the kitchen at this point. She can see the odd flash of lightning arc across the clouds.  
>She grits her teeth and forces her eyes on her brother. Wearing clothes. Good so far.  
>"Where's the note?"  
>"Fridge. Would you like some eggs?"  
>He looks at her, smiling. She hasn't eaten since this morning.  
>"Why not? Three eggs, no pepper, twe-er. Please."  
>Lori plucks off the scrap of paper.  
>"Aunt Shirley broke something," Lori reads, out loud. "Mom and Dad took Lucy and everyone younger with them. They're worried I'm stressed?" She incredulously looks at her cooking brother. "Do I literally look stressed out to you?  
>Lincoln glances back again, taking stock of her sister.  
>He notes the circles under her eyes, the set jaw, the, uh...shaking fist.  
>"Not, uh...not...really?"  
>Lori can read the hesitation on his face.  
>"...whatever. So Lucy, the twins, Lisa and Lily are gone. Where are the other three? Wher-"  
>Her voice catches when a loud boom rumbled overhead. She quickly plays it off like she was just interrupted.  
>"...Where's Luna?"  
>"She left a note," Lincoln said, focusing on the eggs again. "Couldn't even read it. Something about me having a big butt, greasy pretzels and telling me to go away. I'm guessing a concert."  
>Lori sighs, trying to calm her racing heart. She didn't expect it would start storming so soon. 

>"Ok. Concert sounds about right. Luan?"  
>"I think she's in her room. Haven't heard a peep since I got home, but I'm not risking getting pied for checking on her."  
>Lincoln finishes making the eggs, sliding equal heaping portions onto two plates. Placing the pan into the sink, he puts in a couple slices into the toaster.  
>"Wait, who's got a big butt?"  
>Lincoln shrugs. "I don't know. Luna didn't address who was supposed to read it. Just 'L.'"  
>Lori pinches her nose. "I...I see. Ok, what about Leni? Thanks."  
>The toast pops out, and he gets to work spreading some cheese onto the slices. His work done, he offers a plate to his big sister.  
>"You're welcome. She's gone to the mall, won't be back late. Something about a super sale."  
>Ok. Just her and him. Good. No pressure. They can talk.  
>Lori flinches as another burst of noise explodes outside. She powerwalks out of the kitchen and into the living room. She needs something to keep her mind off the storm.  
>"Come on, Twerp. No one's home, we get the TV."  
>"Oh man, I didn't think of that! Nice, we can watch a movie, or play something!"  
>Lori sits on the couch. She's starving, and Lincoln makes really good eggs.  
>"Whatever, just sit over there."  
>Lincoln sits down right beside her, already chewing on his dinner.  
>Really now?  
>"Hey. I literally just told you, go sit over there."  
>She stabs a fork at the other side of the couch.  
>Reluctantly, he slides over to give her some space. She turns on the TV.  
>"Ok, I'm feeling nice. Your choice."  
>"Can we watch Star Wars?"  
>"...I'm suddenly feeling much less ni-"  
>She yelps loudly as a peal of thunder jitters the room.  
>She barely manages to keep from throwing her plate. Her hand is digging deep into the couch. She's breathing heavily, her head down.  
>Calm down, Lori. Not in front of Lincoln. Breathe. You're doing fine, you're doing fine, keep it t-  
>"Lori, are you Ok?"  
>Crap.

>"I-I'm fine," Lori replies a little too quickly. She starts stuffing her mouth, thinking desperately to change the topic.  
>"You sure?"  
>"Yes I am sure!" she snaps, accidentally spraying Lincoln with egg.  
>Ok, deflect with a confession, then get to the point. She swallows, then huffs.  
>"...I broke up with Bobby."  
>Lincoln looks genuinely shocked. He's an innocent kid.  
>"What? Why?"  
>"Don't want to talk about it. Eat your food and watch your movie."  
>Lori manages to get her dancing knee under control. The silence has long since gotten awkward. She pokes at her toast. She sighs. May as well come clean.  
>"We've been...having trouble lately, and I wasn't willing to put up with it anymore."  
>She doesn't look at Lincoln. She doesn't want to see the childish confusion on his face. And here comes the stupid question in three...two...  
>"I'm sorry it didn't work out, Lori."  
>Lori looks at him. Didn't expect that. He's got a look of concern on his face.  
>He's also way closer than she remembers.  
>"Hey, personal sp-"  
>"If...you want to talk about it, you know I'm here, right? I'll listen."  
>Ok, what is going on? This is not how he should be acting.  
>Lori finishes her plate, dumps it on the end table, and none too gently shoves him back onto his side.  
>"I told you, I DON'T want to talk about it. You'll just blab about it to your twerp friend, and I won't hear the end of it."  
>She turns to stare at the TV. She drums her fingers against the couch arm, impatient. Nervous.  
>Lori stiffens when she feels Lincoln press against her, wrapping his arms around her waist.  
>"...What are you doing."

>"I'm here, Lori. You can talk to me."  
>Where on earth did this level of maturity come from?  
>Oh wow, he's pretty damn warm.  
>"You have five seconds to get your hands off me, or I swear, I will LITERALLY snap you in h-"  
>A conveniently deafening burst of air drowns out her threat, but not her cry.  
>Lori instantly hunkers down. Legs to her chest, head at her knees, hands pressed to her ears.  
>She can't do this. She can't breathe. She needs to get in her room right now. Get to safety.  
>"Lori, stop !" Lincoln yells, holding her tightly, struggling to keep her on the couch. "It's just thunder! It won't hurt you!"  
>"I AM NOT AFRAID OF THUNDER! GET OFF OF ME!" she roars, prying his hands off her waist.  
>KRA  
>KOOOOOOOMMM  
>For seven seconds it sounded like the world was ending.  
>For seven seconds, Lori's instincts kick in, and she shoves herself into the closest set of arms, trying to make herself as small and as quiet as possible.  
>She can't stop shaking. Even while Lincoln hugs her and reassures her, her body won't stop rattling.  
>It takes several minutes for her blind panic to pass. She doesn't move for even more.  
>"Lori?" Lincoln asks nervously. "Are you Ok now?"  
>He can barely hear her response.  
>"Please don't look at me."  
>She lifts her head out of her position. She looks miserable.  
>Lincoln quickly tugs the quilt off of the top of the couch and drapes both of them in it. Lori wordlessly lets him work, cradling her in the obscenely soft fabric.  
>The power cuts right then and there, plunging the living room into eternal darkness.  
>Lori whimpers, feeling the change in light through her closed eyes.  
>Pathetic.

>It's different, Lincoln realizes.  
>With Leni, she crushes him tight against him, sobs messily and loudly, and calms down when he pets her hair.  
>Lori alternates between trying to push him away and draping herself over him, laying on top of him, her arms pinned under his body. Her sobbing is softer, more broken, like she's still trying to assert her control.  
>Leni melts into his arms when he kisses her, Lori hates anything but her cheek being rubbed or kissed. Leni's more ticklish, she doesn't like her waist being touched. Lori responds more positively, though; her breathing hitches and her back arches slightly as he strokes her sides.  
>Leni cries out at the thunder. Lori just holds her breath and shakes.  
>Leni calms down to Lincoln's words. Lori just shakes harder.  
>Interesting.  
>Sighing, Lincoln just lays there, his arms loosely wrapped around Lori as she lets it all out. His shoulder's soaked in tears and boogers. The same shirt as his first time with Leni.  
>Just wait it out, he thinks. She'll get off him eventually. He can hear the wind howling outside.  
>Lori nervously cracks an eye open. Lincoln makes a point of not looking. She weakly pushes herself up, straddling her brother.  
>She doesn't care that he can see clean down her shirt. She's too tired to cry anymore.  
>"Do you want to go to bed?" he asks, calmly. She nods.  
>Sliding out from under her, Lincoln takes Lori's hand and leads her to the stairs. Neither of them can see past the halfway point.  
>She squeezes his hand, tightly. He squeezes back, and guides her up, slowly, tenderly.

>They stop for a moment at the bathroom to get a glass of water. She doesn't dare look at the mirror.  
>Lori tries to follow Lincoln into his room when he changes into his pajamas, before sitting by the wall outside after a pang of thunder rings out.  
>Her room. Finally.  
>"Good night, Lori," Lincoln offers, still holding her hand.  
>She doesn't say anything. She can barely look at him. She fell apart like a stack of Goddamn Jenga.  
>She pushes the door shut, but doesn't close it. She limply plods to her bed, pulls back the sheets, and just falls onto it.  
>She ignores the door slowly creak open. Or the soft footsteps approaching her.  
>She doesn't react to her little brother violate her privacy or boundaries, nudging her closer to the wall so he can lay down beside her.  
>She rolls over, facing the wall, away from him.  
>Undaunted, he wraps his arms again around her waist, pulling himself closer into a weak attempt at spooning.  
>"You don't have to be afraid, Lori. I'm here."  
>He timidly presses a kiss at the nape of her neck. Her body responds entirely badly at the intimacy.  
>Oh crap, here come the waterworks again.  
>Lori weakly cries as Lincoln pulls the covers over them. She cries herself to sleep.  
>Her last thoughts before slipping into an empty, dreamless void were "How can he be so warm?"

>Lori wakes with a start.  
>Confused, she looks at the clock.  
>4:47 AM.  
>Nobody else is home, she won't have to make her rounds.  
>Lincoln exhales against her chest, the brush of air causing her to shiver.  
>Wait, Lincoln.  
>What is he doing in here.  
>A bullwhip cracking outside answers her.  
>Oh. Right. That.   
>She looks down at her little brother.  
>She must have rolled over at some point, they're wrapped around each other.  
>Realizing this, she then decides to get her hand off his butt.  
>She then notices she's still in her day clothes. Lori tenderly untangles herself from Lincoln's hold, and slips out to change.  
>She takes her shirt off and glances back nervously. Lincoln snorts and grumbles something before falling back into this dreams.  
>She changes into her jammies with haste, then slips back into her bed.  
>Lincoln immediately latches onto her, and Lori simply allows it.  
>She stifles a gasp when he buries his face in her chest. She bites her lip when his hands glide against her ribs just perfectly.   
>The coccoon of blanky does her no favours, trapping her in a sauna of toasty body heat.  
>His hands then shift around her, absentmindedly rubbing her back.  
>Her hands are trembling as she's played like a fiddle.  
>Despite the exquisite sensations, Lori finds herself quickly falling asleep.  
>She only has three thoughts as her lids get too heavy.  
>Where the Hell did he learn how to do this?  
>Is this why Leni stays with him?  
>...Where did his pajamas go.  
>She shivers again as his cheek rub against her boob, and then she's out again, pulling Lincoln tight as he unconsciously gropes her.

>At 7 AM, Leni comes home.  
>She stayed over at a friend's house, since the storm basically trapped her there.  
>She snuck out early, not wanting to explain why she hid in the bathroom all night.  
>She'll deal with that can of worms when school opens up.  
>The walk home wasn't so bad.  
>Leni actually likes the rain, when there's no lightning.  
>There's no sign of life in the house when she enters.  
>She flicks the light switch. Nothing.  
>Power's out. Whoopie.  
>Leni doesn't call out. She doesn't want to be rude.  
>She cries out, though, when she trips over Luna.  
>"Ugh, Luna! What are you doing on the floor?!"  
>The aspiring rockstar adopts a fetal position, trying to shield her pounding head.  
>Her voice is at just the perfect pitch to make her hangover even worse.  
>"Please stop talking."  
>Seeing there's no point, and guessing Luan locked her out, Leni sighs and drops it.  
>She picks a few bits of lint out of Luna's hair, helps her onto the couch, then goes to the kitchen to fetch her some orange juice for later.  
>With Luna out like a light again, Leni continues. Bounding up the stairs, she's at her brother's room, knocking gently.  
>"Lincoln," she singsongs, her voice positively dripping with affection. She loves feeling him squirm when she does that voice. "Sorry I didn't come home last night, wanna cu-"  
>"...Lincoln?"  
>He's not in bed. Where is he?  
>Leni checks under his bed. No.  
>The bathroom?  
>No.  
>Lynn's room?  
>Ha! No. Why would he be in Lynn's room?  
>...Under his bed?  
>Wait, she already checked.  
>Leni's getting antsy now. Where could he be?  
>Wait, Lori might know.   
>She'll ask her.   
>"Lori? Are you awake?"  
>She cracks the door to her room, and peaks in.  
>Lori's been acting weird all week. Ever since she started bonding with Lincoln, she's gotten all cold and snippy, but always asking when she's coming back.  
>Leni was a little weirded out when she found her sleeping in her bed, but she chalked it up to sleep issues.

>Lori's sleeping deeply, snoring quietly on her bed. Her legs shift and move under the sheets, before falling still.  
>Hearing her familiar sleep patterns makes Leni oddly nostalgic. Even though she's been having a blast bunking in Lincoln's room, she misses her sister's noises.  
>Not that Lori would ever admit to making noise.  
>She's not fidgeting, or rolling back and forth.   
>Sheets not kicked off. Her pillow also isn't clear across the room.  
>All good signs she's sleeping peacefully.  
>Leni hesitates to wake her up.  
>She knows better than anyone just how temperamental Lori can be if she's woken up early.  
>But she's worried about Lincoln, and that's reason enough to risk losing an arm.  
>Still, she's cautious as she approaches her bed.  
>"Lori?" She tries again, her voice a whisper.  
>No answer, still snoring.   
>She creeps forward a little more. Lori shudders in her slumber, adjusting her posture to get comfortable.  
>"Lori, do you know where Lincoln is?"  
>Still no answers. She may as well be talking to a log.  
>Huh, weird. When did Lori get a hunchback?  
>Then Leni notices the tuft of hair poking out under the sheets, behind her.  
>A tuft of white hair.  
>Her hands are shaking as she pulls back her sister's comforter.  
>There he is.  
>He's deep in sleep too, wrapped around her back like a baby koala.  
>Lori grunts and shifts at the loss of the sheets, causing her hair to move.  
>Oh God, she has a hickey.  
>Oh God, his face is covered in lipstick.  
>Then she sees his arms.  
>One's wrapped around Lori's waist.  
>The other is up her shirt.  
>Leni's not a genius, but she knows full well what that grabby little hand is holding.  
>She replaces the sheets and sneaks out again. She goes to Lincoln's room, curled in a ball, clutching his pillow and holding back tears.  
>Questions race through her head.  
>What are they doing together?  
>What about Bobby?  
>Is she being being replaced?  
>That last one gives her pause.  
>...Why does she feel jealous?

Chapter Two: Lori's Lamentations  
~Fin~


	3. Unrest in the House of Loud

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one had less trouble, and I think I wrote half of it during a lunch break at work.  
> Phones are a bitch.  
> As you can see, I was still figuring out my formatting, and still didn't have my tense decided.  
> Will fix in the future.  
> Going to suck.

>Lori wakes with a stir.  
>Judging by the birdsong outside, it's around 10 AM.  
>The lack of warmth on her face, however, means the sun is blocked out by cloud cover.  
>She groans softly. It's the middle of friggin' summer, act like it.  
>As her brain warms up, she becomes aware of a few things.  
>Firstly, someone's in bed with her, spooning.  
>Second, said person is pawing her boob rather liberally, if lazily.  
>Third, judging by a very...assertive presence rubbing against her butt, he's very happy to be sharing with her.  
>Stretching carefully to avoid waking her bedmate, Lori reaches for the hand groping her and gently squeezes it.  
>"Mornin'" she whispers.  
>Then she reaches behind her, stroking along the wiry bicep and shoulder until she reached his hair.  
>His breath is hot against her neck. Every exhale sends a short shiver down her spine.  
>Then she feels the cowlick.  
>And last night comes rushing back to her like a freight train.

>Her eyes snap open.  
>The first thing they see is Leni's empty bed.  
>Then slowly, slowly, far too slowly to be practical, she turns her head and looks behind her.  
>White hair.  
>Freckles.  
>Buck teeth.  
>Lincoln's hand squeezes her breast again, forcing her to stifle a groan at the pleasant grasping.  
>Oh God, her brother's groping her.   
>Ok, Lori, calm down. Breathe. Think.  
>What did you do to him, exactly?  
>The storm set her off, and Lincoln walked her through it, and he allowed himself to be used like some kind of...nightmare-absorbant monkey doll.  
>She grimaces. She remembers crying...a lot. And it wasn't cute. It was pretty gross, actually. Ruined eyeliner, boogers, the works.  
>Then she notices the lipstick on his face.  
>And his neck.  
>And she can see some on his collarbone...  
>Oh dear.  
>Pushing the wave of nausea and guilt down, Lori carefully detaches Lincon's hand from her tit, and slowly slides out of bed.  
>"Lincoln," she whispers, nudging her sleeping brother. "It's time to get up."  
>Lincoln simply grunts and rolls over. All she could make out was "ten."  
>She sighs.  
>Ok. First, a quick shower.  
>Then a check up on Leni and Luna, if they're home.  
>Then, if Lincoln is up by then, she will have to have a chat with him.  
>A serious one.  
>As Lori slips out of her room and down to the bathroom, she notes that last night was the best night's sleep she's had all month.

>Leni's been awake since she came home.  
>She's holed up in Lincoln's room. Curled up in a ball on his bed. Sulking.  
>She's just laying there, staring at the door on the off chance Lincoln will walk in and lay down with her.  
>Leni sniffs the shirt she pilfered from his drawer. The smell of his fabric has helped a lot with keeping her calm.  
>But she starts getting antsy, and her body starts to protest the strain she's putting on her back.  
>Reluctantly, she stretches out, her feet pushing against the wall, forcing her head up and bumping against the opposite wall with a soft thump. She can barely fit on the mattress without bending her legs or back.  
>She doesn't pay attention to the discomfort, though. She's oddly deep in thought.  
>Why didn't he sleep here?   
>Sure, she was late coming home last night. But it wasn't her fault. The storm kept her trapped in her friend's bathroom.  
>But the day before, Lori was sleepwalking outside his room, when they were cuddling.  
>Leni frowns.  
>Then, before she went to work, she tried to talk to them as they were cuddling at the table during breakfast. And again at lunch, she tried to make them take different seats.  
>Something isn't right. Leni closes her eyes, racking her scattered brain to hurry up.  
>Then...Lori came home before she did, and when Leni came home, she found them in Lori's bed.  
>A sharp pang of jealousy rumbles in her stomach.  
>Or is she just hungry?  
>Suddenly sidetracked, Leni glances around at the walls, scanning around until she sees the clock.  
>She squints at the face of Ace Savvy leering back at her.  
>It's, uh...nine - no, ten...ten-twenty?  
>Leni's ears picks up the sound of the shower starting. Time for food, she guesses.

>Lori steps out of the bathroom, fully refreshed.  
>Steam cascades out into the hallway, briefly filling it with a light fog.  
>Lord, she hasn't felt this good in literal weeks.  
>She takes a few steps toward her room when a creak makes her pause.  
>Someone's going downstairs. She glances down the hall toward the stairs, but couldn't see who it was.  
>"...Lincoln?" She tries.  
>The creaking stops briefly, before resuming, all but stomping down to the floor level, then to the kitchen.  
>Shrugging, Lori continues down to her room to get dressed, opening her door and seeing Lincoln still snoring in her bed, rolled up like a little pillbug.  
>Lori cringes. Yeah, that was Leni. She didn't sound happy.  
>She'll deal with her later. Squeezing the washcloth gently, she gets to work, gently scrubbing Lincoln's face, wiping away the lipstick markings she gave him through the night.  
>And not without a hint of excitement and guilt, she also took advantage of the moment to get a feel of his upper body while cleaning his collarbone and chest.  
>She's curious, what do you want from her?  
>His arm's have definitely gotten a little longer, and there's clearly come muscle filling in the gaps.  
>His shoulders are broader, too, and Lori can just feel a hint of his pectorals developing in his chest.  
>He's lost weight, too, no doubt about that. His babyfat is burning up. No wonder he's so toasty all the time.  
>She sees his cheekbones and jawline are starting to emerge, too. She can't help but speculate over how he'll look when he's grown up.  
>She also can't help shivering at the thought of his musculature.  
>Satisfied with her cleanup, Lori buttons his shirt up, then briefly glances down at the sheets. There's a sizeable lump literally three feet away from her.  
>It...it wouldn't hurt, just to peek, would it?  
>You're his big sister. You need to make sure everything's Ok under the hood.  
>Yeah. That's right. You're responsible.

>Lori glances at her brother's face, running the numbers in her head.  
>Then, slowly, she grabs the end of the covers and starts tugging. Every few inches, she stops and watches him, taking stock of his breathing.  
>Satisfied that she's in the clear, and comfortable with the rationalization she gave herself, she keeps tugging until the covers are pulled down to his knees.  
>She freezes when Lincoln mutters something, aware that he's lost his toasty warmth, before slipping back to sleep.  
>Lori remembers to breathe, then promptly forgets again when she sees his jammies.  
>She can almost hear the elephants trumpeting in that circus tent.  
>Fearfully, she glances up at Lincoln. Out cold.  
>Mentally slapping herself, she steels herself for what it is that she must do.  
>She decides not to use the fly, he might wake up from her fishing around too much.  
>Suddenly timid, she places her hands on his pelvis, the lightest feather touch she can possibly exert.  
>Stay on target.  
>She adjusts her hands, placing them parallel to the middle of his thighs.  
>Stay on target.  
>She tickles her fingers past his elastic, finding purchase in the - holy crap, It's a blast furnace in there.  
>Lori's breathing hard now, her heart's never beaten this fast before. Her lip trembling, she squeezes her eyes shut and moves for the prize.  
>You're clear, kid! Now let's blow this thing and go home!  
>But you're already home.  
>That was fast.

>"Splap"  
>Lori sucks in a ragged gasp of air at the sight before her.  
>Lincoln's p...p...  
>Oh God, she can't even imagine calling it that. That's just too much.  
>Lincoln's...junk...  
>Ok, she can work with that.  
>Lincoln's junk stands tall and firm at full mast, a solid six inches.  
>She can't fully describe what she's looking at.  
>She doesn't even think a poet can give It justice.  
>She's drooling at the mere thought of what It'll be like when he's fully grown.  
>She's gone nuclear.  
>It's...It's perfect.  
>Lori's struggling to control her breathing, or her shaking hands.  
>He doesn't have any hair yet. She wonders if it'll be white like his scalp, or more grey.  
>She jerks back when It twitches. She's mesmerized.  
>She can't hold back now.  
>Her hand shakes as she lets go of Lincoln's jammies.  
>She...she needs to hold It. Just a little a touch. A poke.  
>She's wild.  
>That's it. That's all she needs. She licks her suddenly chapped lips.  
>Her finger stretches out, desperate to make first contact wi-  
>No!  
>Holy shit, bitch, dial it back!  
>Lori jerks back.  
>More!  
>With a squeak, Lori yanks her hand back at the last second.  
>"What...what the fuck?" she whispers, shaking her head desperately.  
>Her brother's snore brought her back. Oh God...Oh God. Her brother. She almost grabbed his...  
>Lori quickly hooked her fingers around Lincoln's waistband and yanks it over his wiener, shielding it from her sight.  
>She's broken up inside.  
>She looks at the clock. 11:45.  
>Ok. He's had enough beauty sleep.  
>Tentatively, she presses her lips on his forehead.  
>She smirks.  
>She snakes her hands under his shoulders and thighs, and carefully extracts him from her sheets.  
>She stands up, craddling him a moment.  
>She squats down.  
>"HRUP!"  
>And with a loud grunt, promptly flings him towards the ceiling.

>Lincoln's eyes fling open before he leaves her arms.  
>He flails desperately in midair, his instincts shrieking at him to find something to grab, to orient his feet toward the g-  
>*THMP!*  
>Lori winces when he slams into the ceiling.  
>*CLNG!*  
>It turns into a nervous cringe when he bounces off and plummets onto her bed.  
>"SHEEEA-"  
>Lincoln catches his breath long enough to try screaming...  
>*POK!*  
>Before bouncing off the mattress and promptly landing in a heap on the floor.  
>Lori buries her face in her hands before he reaches the bed. She clearly overestimated her throw.  
>She's literally never felt so embarrassed in her l-  
>"L-L-LORI! WHAT THE HECK WAS TH-THAT?!"  
>...Ok, now she's literally never felt more embarrassed before in her life. That was fast.  
>"Lincoln," she starts, holding her hands out nervously. Ooh dear, he looks really pissed. "I didn't kn...I mean, I didn't mean to throw you that hard."  
>"WHY D-DID YOU THROW ME IN THE F-FIRST PLACE?!"  
>Lori flinches at her brother's shouting. She blinks away the tears forming in her eyes.  
>"It...it's almost noon. You slept in long enough."  
>Lori's brain works overtime, pushing aside the panic and scrutinizing the scene, choosing her words carefully.  
>"...And you th-thought throwing me into the ceiling w-would wake me up."  
>He always stutters when he gets spooked. Maybe she can save this.  
>Lori looks down, spooling a lock of her hair as she slouches.   
>"I'm sorry Lincoln," she whispers. "I didn't mean to hurt you like that."

>Lori can feel Lincoln's glare burn into her.  
>She genuinely feels sick to her stomach. What...what was she about to do on the bed? And then she ruined a nice moment by almost hurting him.  
>And now she's trying to curry favour by acting shy and posing submissively? How many times has she played this card?  
>She stands up, closing her eyes as Lincoln stands up. She turns her head away as he approaches her. Her breath hitches as he embraces her silently.  
>"I-it's alright, Lori. It was a g-good prank. Luan would have d-done that if she were stronger."  
>She can't believe how forgiving her brother is. Admittedly, she's done worse. Her arms reflexively wrap around him and pull him close, returning the hug in full.  
>It's at this point Lori realizes two things.  
>First: Lincoln's definitely had a growth spurt. When once before she would bless him with a patented Lori Lock, he came up just past her belly button. Now, her bosom rests comfortably on top of his head.  
>Very comfortably.  
>Secondly: she can definitely feel him pressing up against her thigh.  
>Lincoln clearly feels it too, quickly wriggling free, his face a deep red.  
>"I-I-I-" he stuttered, freaking out again.  
>"I-I-I-" she repeats, slapping her mouth closed when she caught herself too late.  
>Why did she do that? She shouldn't have done that. She shouldn't have mocked him like that. That was just petty.  
>She's just trying to tease him. And this is just beneath her.  
>"L-Lincoln," Lori stammers, clearing her throat to show she's serious. "It's...almost lunch time. I heard Leni go down already, let's go join her. I'll make bean-cheese sandwiches, Ok?"  
>Lincoln's scowl flips into a stoked grin. "Oh man, I love bean-cheese!"  
>He pushes past her and races down the stairs.  
>Ok. That worked. Huge dick move on her part, but still. He's not upset.  
>Her smile falters.  
>That's right. Leni. Lori sits down on her bed.   
>The room is empty again.  
>"Crap."

>In less than ten seconds from accidentally poking his sister, Lincoln's already downstairs and in the kitchen.  
>"Hi Leni!" he cheerfully quips.  
>And then she's latched onto him, sliding her chair right against his and smothering him in a hug. It's closer to a hold, really. But points for effort.  
>"Linc, I missed you," his older sister whines as she rubs her cheek roughly against his hairline. "I'm sorry I didn't come home last night."  
>"It's...Ok, Leni...Couldja ease up...please?"  
>"Oh, right! Sorry."  
>Now free from a rather pleasant prison, Lincoln peeks over at the stairs expectantly, hearing the odd stair creak with Lori's steps.  
>"We're gonna have bean-cheese sandwiches!"  
>Leni perks up at the mention of food. "That's great! I was getting so hungry waiting for you. Who's gonna make it?"  
>"I am," Lori says, entering the kitchen and pulling some bread from the stove. She's tied her hair back in to a ponytail.  
>Lincoln had never seen Leni's face change expression so fast. On page 106, she's the definition of joy. Big smile, expressive eyes, the works.  
>Turn to 107 and her eyes are narrowed, her head is lowered, and her mouth is a tight, flat line.  
>Sweetie to bitch in .72 seconds. Incredible.  
>It's then he realizes that she kind of looks like a mess. Bedhead, redeye, circles, shoddy makeup. Heck, her nail polish is chipped and peeled.  
>"Lori." Lincoln shudders at how flat her voice sounded. Their sister doesn't miss the change in mood, and glances behind her as she waits for the bread to toast.  
>Lincoln looks downward and sees his hand in Leni's. Tightly. It...kinda hurts.  
>"...Morning, Leni. Food will be a couple minutes. How many slices do you want?"  
>Leni doesn't answer for a moment. She mutters under her breath.  
>"Sorry?"  
>Another small mumble. Lincoln winces as her grip starts to bend bone.  
>"I th-think she said two," he stammers, wishing to rectify the situation before he needs a cast.

>Lori takes out the toasted slices, adds a spread of beans, and a slice of cheese.  
>"Tomato?"   
>Lincoln is struggling to not cry as Leni nearly crushes his hand in hers. She shakes her head once, still staring straight ahead.  
>"S-s-she said no," he gasps, now hunching over from the pain. "Ah! No th-thanks."  
>"...Alright then," Lori answers, placing another two slices of bread in the toaster. "What about you, twerp? Tomatoes?"  
>"...No," is all he could spit out. Leni's eye twitched when she addressed him, and he can see his fingertips are turning a deep shade of purple. He grasps her sleeve with his open hand.  
>"Leni!" he hisses desperately. "Please! You're hu-hurting me!"  
>With a snort and a few confused blinks, Leni snaps out of her mood. Goodbye apex bitchface, welcome sweet big sister. She lets go of his hand, then stares at him in worry as he fearfully nurses life back into his digits.  
>"Ohmigosh! Linc, I'm so sorry," she whispers, tears in her eyes too. She gently pulls his hand back and kisses the knuckles, then strokes the back of his hand before returning it to him.  
>"I don't know what came over me. I was happy to see you, but-"  
>"Leni," Lori interrupts, sliding the baking tray into the oven. "If you're not busy hanging out with Lincoln later today, I need a word with you."  
>She looks and watches as Leni fusses over Lincoln, while he fusses back, wishing to be left alone for at least a minute. She feels a small knot form in her stomach.  
>"Leni!" she repeats, startling the younger blonde with a squeak. "Did you hear what I said?"  
>"N-no, Lori," the girl answered, timidly looking her way. Lori pinches the bridge of her nose.  
>"That's...fine, Leni. No worries. I just need to talk to you after dinner. Alone."  
>Lincoln flinches as she addresses him. "You too, Lincoln. Before dinner. Alone."  
>"Ding"  
>Oh thank God. Food's ready.  
>Lori places her sibling's lunch onto their plates, and passes them onto the table.

>"What about me?"  
>Lori, Leni and Lincoln scream.  
>"LUCY, WHAT AR-" Lori starts. "Wait, Luna? What are you doing here?"  
>"I live here," retorts the punk, slumped over the table.  
>She was laying so still, and didn't say a word, nobody noticed that she was there.  
>"No," Lori snaps, still fraying at the spook. "I mean, what are you doing at the table? I thought you were sleeping off a hangover or something."  
>Luna turns her head to glare at her sister.  
>"I'm not telling you this again," she said. "That was one beer, it was nonalcoholic, and Chunk let me have it to teach me how bad they are."  
>Lori could see that Luna wasn't kidding. Luna didn't move from her posture, but she could see her back tensing.  
>"...Alright, Luna. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that." Thinking quickly, Lori follows up with a peace offering. "Would you like me to make you a bean cheese sandwich?"  
>Luna stares down Lori for a moment, then relaxes and sighs.  
>"Could I get some apple slices too?"  
>Ruffling the punk's hair, Lori got up and went to prepare another batch of lunch.  
>"Rough party last night?"  
>"Something to that effect."  
>"Wait," interrupts Lincoln. "If you're still here, where's Luan?"  
>Tilting her head back, Luna looks over at her brother.  
>"She went to a comedy camp. Took some of my stuff too."  
>Lori stops cutting the apple for a moment, before resuming.  
>"Think she'll be gone for the rest of the week. Thanks, luv."  
>Lincoln watches as Lori gives the rocker her dish, sitting back down.  
>"You're welcome. Now, let's try this again," she starts. She cuts a strip of bread, taking a bite, then pointing her fork at Leni.  
>"Leni, I want you to stop sleeping in Lincoln's bed."  
>"Leni's been bedding with Lincoln?"  
>"You're not part of this, Luna. Eat your lunch. Leni, are you listening to me?."

>Lincoln looks at the sister beside him.  
>He doesn't like what he sees.  
>Leni has been picking and poking at her toast, alternating between slowly cutting the skin of the cheese with her knife, or using both utensils to pull the sandwich apart.  
>Her eyes are firmly down, refusing to look at her sisters or him.  
>Her lips a tight, flat line against her face again.  
>He can hear her teeth click against the steel of the fork when she puts a too-small portion into her mouth.  
>"Leni, please look at me when I'm talking to you."  
>Leni stops finicking over her meal, breathing deeply through her nose.  
>Her eyes flick up, boring holes into her sister.  
>Lincoln fearfully looks at his oldest sisters. He can taste the tension in the air.  
>Lori doesn't notice, or just ignores it as she continues.  
>"You've been hanging out with Lincoln all week," she continues, pausing to pop another piece of toasted bread in her mouth. "You can't just use him as a teddy bear whenever there's a storm. And besides that, Lincoln needs his alone tim-"  
>"Like you used him last night?" Leni mutters under her breath.  
>Lincoln chokes on his drink.  
>Luna starts catching on to the atmosphere.  
>She locks eyes with Lincoln, and tilts her head to the door, suggesting they flee.  
>Lincoln lightly shakes his head. As afraid as he is of the oncoming storm, he feels a duty as the sole male of the house to intervene if it comes to it.  
>Lori returns the glare, matching Leni's intensity with ease.  
>"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that?"  
>Lincoln and Luna flinch as Leni scrapes her knife across her plate, messily tearing apart the last sandwich.  
>"You heard me."  
>Lincoln couldn't tell if he was more afraid of the possible confrontation, or the fact that Leni caught him with Lori.

>Leni raises her head, staring down her sister full on.  
>Lincoln's not as experienced at reading people as Lori, but he knows a red flag when he sees it.  
>This is going to end in a fist fight and he knows it.  
>"Uh, Leni?" He tries, tugging at her sleeve. "Are y-you going to finish your sandw-"  
>Without breaking eye contact, Leni slaps her plate aside, spraying Lincoln in beans as she roughly shoves the dinnerware to his place.  
>Luna jerks her head toward the stairs again, pleading silently for him to flee with him.  
>He shakes his head again. He's not leaving them.  
>Luna fearfully looks at her sisters before locking eyes with Lincoln again. She mouths out "not without you."  
>She clears her throat.  
>"Uh, Lori, luv? Do you thi-"  
>"Shut up, Luna," the oldest sister orders, slowly placing her hands on the table edge.  
>"I'm only going to tell you this once, Lenore," she starts, her voice even, but with a definite edge. "Don't. Do. This."  
>Leni scowls. Her fists tighten on her utensils.  
>"Leni, come on," Lincoln tries again, clutching her arm in an attempt to anchor her. "L-let's go watch some TV together. We c-can have the bl-"  
>Leni drops her tools, clamps her hand onto his face, and roughly shoves him back.

>"You think, what, that you sleep with him once and know what that's, like, like?"  
>Ignoring the innuendo, Lori knows that she needs to get back in control right now.  
>"When mom and dad are gone, I am in charge," Lori states, putting a lot of effort to keep her voice level. "That means, Leni, you do as I tell you."  
>Leni doesn't answer, lowering her head. Her shoulders are shaking.  
>"And I'm telling you that you are sleeping in our room tonight. Am I clear?"  
>Lincoln's back on his feet now, desperation on his face.  
>"Lori, come on," he pleads. "It's okay, I don't mind! Leni's not a bother in m-"  
>"Shut your mouth Lincoln," Lori spits.  
>Leni springs to her feet, kicking her chair into the wall and slamming her fists onto the table.  
>"DON'T YOU TALK TO HIM LIKE THAT!"  
>She's staring daggers at Lori now. Her mouth is tightly clenched, and she's gasping through her teeth.  
>Hot tears streak down her face.  
>"You always think you know so much just because you're older!" she shouts.  
>Luna's on her feet now, fighting against her instinct to take Lincoln and hide in the bathroom.  
>"Leni, don't do thiIGH!"  
>Lincoln chokes as Leni roughly grabs him, crushing him in a bear hug, twisting her body to shield him from Lori.  
>"You think you're so much better than me just because you've had more boyfriends," she continues, squeezing him much too hard against her.  
>Lori's on her feet, slapping Luna's hands away.  
>"Lincoln isn't your boyfriend, you moron!" she snaps. "He is your brother, and this is literally going too f-"  
>"LIKE THAT STOPPED YOU THIS MORNING!" Leni explodes, a fresh river of tears pouring out of her eyes. Her face is red and blotchy. She's gasping now.  
>All the colour drains from the older sisters' faces.  
>"I-I saw all the lipstick you covered him in," she rants, struggling to keep herself coherent. She's desperately stroking Lincoln's hair. "I saw you holding him like y-you owned him!"  
>Lori licks her suddenly bone dry lips.

>Luna stares in shock at what is transpiring.  
>It's like watching a nuclear-powered train launch off a ramp with rocket boosters, and slamming through a dozen Hindenburgs, each filled with a different race of babies and nice old people.  
>"I saw you clean him up!" Leni continued. "I know where his hands were when you slept!"  
>Luna stares in horror at the allegations hurled at Lori.  
>"You think that because he likes to squeeze that means he's, like, yours?!" Leni impudently thrusts her finger toward herself. "He's done that with me first!"  
>Luna interjects with a barely whispered "holy shit, dude."  
>Lori quietly sits down in her chair.  
>Lincoln stops protesting Leni's smothering.  
>Her face morphs from that of indignant rage to despair.  
>"He...doesn't kick me out of the bed. He likes h-having me around. He makes m-me feel safe when I'm scared, and he's really nice to me..."  
>She drops to her knees, burying her face in her brother's shoulders.  
>"Why aren't you nice to me anymore?" She whines, muffled by the shirt. "What did I do wrong?"  
>The thick silence is broken only by Leni's muffled sobs and the heavy rainfall striking the house.  
>Lori's the first to notice.  
>"Leni, hes-"  
>She ignores her, holding her brother tighter.  
>"WHY DO YOU HATE ME?!" Leni shrieks, throwing her brother off her and covering her boogered face in her hands. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I don't know what I to d-"  
>"Leni!" Lori yells, panic in her eyes now. "He's not breathing!"  
>She peeks up, uttering a confused "uh?"  
>Lori springs up and starts darting around the table. "He isn't breathing!"  
>Leni looks down at Lincoln, lying prone on the floor.  
>Crumpled.  
>Crushed.  
>The raging fire in her stomach instantly freezes over into a blind fear.  
>"Oh...oh no..."  
>Terrified, the younger Loud reaches down and touches the boy's face.  
>"Lincoln?"  
>Lori drops down across from her, shooing her hands away and cradling his head.  
>"You were crushing him."  
>"I didn't...I'm s...Is he Ok?"

>"Leni, shush. I need to focus here."  
>Leni just sits there, staring numbly as Lori checked his vitals.  
>"Lori," Leni whispers, the fight finally out of her. "I'm sorry."  
>"Not now, Leni, I'm trying to-"  
>"Is he alright?"  
>"I don't know, Luna. Look at him, just - look at him!"  
>Lori struggles with Leni and Luna distracting her while fighting back her own panic as she tries to find a pu-  
>"Wait, there! Right there. I got his heart."  
>Excited, she then gently presses against his head, then strokes his ribs.  
>Luna approaches, her face oddly pensive.  
>"So he's alright?"  
>Yanking up his shirt, Lori winces at the red lacework along his chest. She takes a deep breath.  
>"He's not dead," she declares, to a duet of happy sighs. "And his ribs and neck are okay. He's going to have a headache though, and unless he's got brain damage," she cuts a glare at her sister, "he'll be Ok."  
>"Good," Luna says, roughly shoving Lori aside.  
>"Bih?! Luna, what are you-"  
>Slapping Leni's hands away, Luna picks up Lincoln's body and bolts for the stairs.  
>The older sisters look at each other before jumping up and giving chase, racing each other after the rocker.  
>"Luna!" Lori repeats, tripping over Lola's table with a yell, followed by a cry when Leni crashes into her.  
>Her getaway clear, Luna scampers into her room, slamming the door shut, then locking it with a click.  
>Leni's at the door first, slamming her shoulder into it, then trying to pick the lock with her hairpin.  
>She can hear something heavy scraping along the floor.  
>"Luna!" Lori shouts, banging on the door. "You open this door RIGHT NOW, or I will LITERALLY KILL YOU AND BEAT YOU TO DEATH WITH YOUR CORPSE!"  
>"You two nearly killed 'im!" a cockney voice yells back. "We ain't leavin' till you two siddown and talk!"  
>"OPEN THIS DOOR!"  
>"SODD OFF!"  
>Lori's pounds a few more times before Leni takes her hand.  
>Her little sister has her head down, her other arm clutching her waist, and swaying slightly, as if in a breeze.  
>She looks so small. So young.

>Luna presses her ear against the door, listening carefully.  
>Hushed whispering.  
>Silence.  
>Then she hears footsteps retreating.  
>Then a door clicking shut.  
>Breathing a sigh of relief, she goes to her bed, sitting down on the mattress beside her sleeping brother.  
>Smoothing out his shirt, she reaches under the bunk bed and yanks out a dusty guitar case.  
>Blowing the dust off, she clicks it open, revealing an old battered guitar.  
>Sitting down on beanbag, she tunes it halfheartedly.  
>Satisfied, she glumly looks at her battered brother before strumming a simple, quiet tune.  
>She used to do this for him, when he was younger.  
>Whenever he was sick or upset, she would play music for him until he was better.  
>It's one of the rare times she enjoys playing quietly.  
>But now...?  
>A tear rolls down her cheek.  
>How did this all go so wrong?

Chapter Three: Unrest in the House of Loud  
~Fin~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song at the end:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buOz6-bSTpQ
> 
> I also remember someone giving himself food poisoning when I wrote about the bean cheese sanviches in the threads.  
> Sorry about that.  
> It was pretty funny though.


	4. Roll Initiative

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A flashback to about a week before the events of one.  
> Where it all went so very wrong...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was in full swing playing Pathfinder at the time.  
> That explains a lot of this nonsense.

>"Alright, seventeen damage," Lincoln mumbles, adjusting the archer's HP. "Ok, Luna, your turn."  
>"It's a...a move action to activate my song, right?" the sister asks, checking her character sheet. "I don't get sucker punched by the bloke in front of me, right?"  
>"You're good. You gonna do that?"  
>"Yep. Tantrum activates his raging song, givin' everyone within, uh..."  
>Luna squints at her handwriting.  
>"Thirty feet of me a buff to their strength and constitution. Then I bash the wanker's head in."  
>Luna makes her rolls her, Lincoln adjusts the target's health, then shifts his attention to...  
>"Go ahead, Luan."  
>"I'm still grappling that guy, right?"  
>Lincoln nods.  
>Luan stands up and strikes a pose.  
>"I, Strrronius Perditus Gaius Maximus, the Guru of Grrrappling-"  
>She's trilling her Rs again.  
>"Luan-" Lincoln tries to interrupt.  
>"The Prrrince of Pinning-"  
>"Huh boy-"  
>"The Maestrrro of Manhandling-"  
>"Luan!"  
>The comedienne huffs in exasperation, plopping down onto her chair and picking up her die.  
>"Ugh, fine. I roll to pin."  
>Pouting a little, she flicks her dice across the table, having to lean over the old wood to see her results.  
>"...Thirty-two."  
>Lincoln checks his notes, then nods.  
>"He's down. Roll damage."  
>"Yes! Maximus hefts up his unlucky opponent, chokeslamming the poor guy to the grrround. He hunches down onto the grrrounded foe, wrrrapping his gnarled, calloused hands arrround his temples, lifting up hes head before crashing it back down onto the deck!"  
>At least she's into the game.  
>Luan rolls her damage, and Lincoln jots it down.  
>"And he's dead."  
>Luan whoops, receiving a congratulatory punch in the arm from Luna.  
>Up next is...  
>"Lori? Your turn."  
>Lori's chatting with Bobby beside her.  
>As grateful as Lincoln is for Bobby helping him make this game possible, it's starting to wear thin getting his sister's attention.

>Lincoln motions for Bobby's attention.  
>"Sup little boss man?" the older male asks with a relaxed smile.  
>"It's her turn."  
>Bobby nods, then turns back to his girlfriend.  
>"Babe, your turn."  
>Lori blinks in confusion, then starts in surprise.  
>"Oh right! This dumb game!"  
>The two pour over her sheet for a second.  
>Lincoln taps the table impatiently.  
>"I hide our sweet, precious Olivia near a barrel, then follow captain Roberto in jumping across to the other ship, joining him in the fight."  
>"Do you make an attack?"  
>Lori looks to Bobby, who nods.  
>"Yes. I attack..."  
>She taps a little toy figurine with her finger.  
>"This guy, with my, uh..."  
>"Crossbow," Bobby mutters aside.  
>"Crossbow."  
>Lori makes her roll, curses at her miss, and Lincoln checks the list.  
>Last is...  
>"Leni? Go ahead."  
>Looking over, the young DM watches his sister stare hard at her character sheet, switching between it and the little pocket book she's been writing with.  
>He leans over, tapping her wrist.  
>She squeaks, jerking back.  
>"Your turn. You know what you're doing?"  
>Leni glances down at her notes again, rereading for the umpteenth time what her stats and weapons are.  
>She sheepishly looks at Lori.  
>"Lori, what should I do?" she whispers.  
>Her sister ignores her, too engrossed in her roleplaying with Bobby.  
>Dejected, Leni turns back to her brother.  
>"I'm sorry, Lincoln...I'm not sure what I should do here."  
>Sighing, Lincoln takes off the adorable wizard's hat she made him, running his hand through his white hair.  
>He clears his throat when he sees that she actually looks downtrodden.  
>"It's alright Leni," he says, patting her hand. "Let me see your sheet again."  
>Taking her notes, Lincoln quickly skims over her neat handwriting.  
>"Ok, you're a Gunslinger, you have proficiency with cannons, and...Ok, you want a hint?"  
>The older Loud nods eagerly.  
>"Your ship is starting to get overrun by pirates. Use the cannon to soften them up for the others."

>Leni stands up, emulating Luan's earlier antics.  
>"I, uh, I go to the cannon," she starts, plucking her figure from the table and placing it next to the cannon.  
>"I-I-I take aim!"  
>Lincoln looks at her expectantly.  
>"At...?"  
>Leni frantically scans the table for a target.  
>"This guy?" she asks, stabbing a figure, standing alone on the bow of the pirate ship.  
>"Sure. Roll to hit."  
>Leni picks up her die, tossing it haphazardly across the wood.  
>"Nineteen."  
>"Leni, that's a D12."  
>"Oh! Sorry! Um...this one?"  
>"Yep, try again."  
>Rolling the die, she watches with fear and excitement as it tumbles to a stop.  
>"Nineteen again?"  
>The DM checks his sheets.  
>"It hits. Roll damage."  
>Another moment of fumbling for the right die passes, and Leni rolls her damage, counting twice to make sure it's right.  
>"Forty-two."  
>Lincoln's eyebrows pop up as he jots down the numbers behind his screen.  
>"...You got him. Huh."  
>Leni hops in excitement.  
>"I-I got one! I got a guy! Lori, did you see that?"  
>Lori, with her back fully turned, waved her arm behind her.  
>"Yeah, sure, it was great. Now Bobby, I'm thinking after we get to port, we take Olivia to-"  
>The baby monitor crackles from its perch in the corner.  
>"A blah bah poo buh!"  
>"Guess Lily wants a snack," Luan says, standing up. "It's not my turn for a while, right?  
>Lincoln nods, waving her out.  
>"Back in a second, don't sail off without me," she calls, jogging upstairs.

>The game continues running somewhat smoothly.  
>Luna starts belting out a deep-voiced rhythmic chanting, evoking her druidic ancestor to inspire her comrades to slay the pirates.  
>Lincoln takes over Luan's character while she's gone, and uses her bulk to tackle someone and throw him down the stairs belowdeck.  
>Lori and Bobby work in sync, covering each other as they sing out war poetry.  
>Leni silently maintains her previous action, reloading the lone cannon and taking potshots at lone pirates.  
>It's a good system, and everyone's enjoying themselves.  
>Until...  
>"I fire!" Leni shouts, already flicking her die.  
>"Click," Lincoln replies coolly, "you're out of ammo."  
>Leni stares at him.  
>Leni is dumbstruck.  
>"Ammo? Wh-I didn't know there was ammo!"  
>Leni cannot believe this level of bullshit.  
>"There's ammo, Leni," the DM says back. "Tell you what, roll perception."  
>Leni looks down at her sheet, then rolls her die again.  
>She does the math slowly in her head, carefully.  
>"Twenty...two?"  
>"You find enough nails, screws and scrap metal close by to constitute an improvised round."  
>Leni stares at him.  
>"You got a shot. Tell me what you rolled before, and take five off."  
>Leni sits down, her hand on her chin.  
>"That was, um...take five...twenty-two?"  
>"That hits. Roll damage."  
>Leni rolls, and the game proceeds.  
>Luan can be heard playing with Lily through the baby monitor.  
>Eventually, Leni's turn comes up again.

>"I reload the cannon, aim at, uh, t-that guy, and fire!" Leni sputters, her excitement getting the better of her.  
>"Click," Lincoln replies. "Out of cannonballs, remember?"  
>"R-right, yeah. Um..."  
>Leni thinks for a second before inspiration hit her.  
>"Look! I, heh, make a look check!"  
>"Perception."  
>"That, that!"  
>Leni rolls her die, scanning her sheets for her modifier.  
>"Twenty-five?"  
>Lincoln flicks over his notes, thinking to himself.  
>"You find...hmm, a bunch of chain. Eh, five feet of the stuff."  
>"Can I put that in the cannon?" Leni asks, her eyes almost sparking with wonder.  
>"Yes, but at minus f-"  
>"I put five chains in and shoot the guy!" Leni rushes, her die rolling before she finishes.  
>She hits, Lincoln tallies the damage, knocks off a couple more figures, and the game continues.  
>Leni's turn comes back quicker than she expects.  
>But she's ready this time.  
>"Perfection to find stuff! Er, perception."  
>Blushing slightly at the flub, Leni rolls her check.  
>She winces.  
>"S...Seven?"  
>Lincoln sadly shakes his head.  
>"Sorry, you find nothing."  
>Leni reads her notes yet again, flipping through pages of immaculate cursive as is her life depended on it.  
>"Uh, uh, L-lori!"  
>Quickly giving up, she turns to her sister for advice.  
>"Lori, what do I do?!"  
>Lori turns around to glare at her.  
>"Leni, you can figure something out, stop worrying."  
>Leni frantically whips her head to the other end of the table, looking to Luna for console.  
>When Luna shrugs, she stares down at the table, desperately trying to come up with something.  
>Think, Leni.  
>Anything.  
>Think!  
>"Leni, it's Ok," Lincoln whispers, adjusting his sparkly, adorable hat. "You can just skip this turn, there's nothing to freak out a-"  
>"Habba poo poo buh."  
>"Lily stop, haha! T-that tickles, a heheheh!"  
>Luan and Lily could be heard playing through the baby monitor.

>Luan and Lily playing upstairs.  
>In Leni's head, the wheels start to turn.  
>Lily and Luan playing.  
>The wheels trundle along.  
>Leni furrows her brow, struggling to think over Luna's hollering and Lori and Bobby's flirting.  
>Lily...and Luan.  
>The wheels start to accelerate.  
>Lily...is a baby.  
>Lori...Lori mentioned having a baby with Bobby in the g-  
>"THE BABY!" Leni yells, almost shrieking, startling Lincoln.  
>"What?! L-Lily?! Is she Ok?" He asks, struggling to understand the cause of the outburst.  
>"Where's the baby?!" Leni demands, grabbing her brother by the shoulders.  
>She's breathing hard, her hair's askew.  
>The wheel's are spinning out of control.  
>"Uh, w-what," Lincoln stutters, glancing at Lori.  
>"Where is it?! Is it close by?"  
>Leni hands are shaking.  
>Lincoln can feel how hard she's gripping his arms.  
>"...Y-yes," he says, looking her straight in the face, more than a little frightened at this change in mood. "She's ten feet away, behind a b-"  
>"I grab the baby!" Leni yells, shoving Lincoln back and grabbing her d20.  
>"W-what? Why would...you...want to..."  
>It dawns on Lincoln.  
>"Oh no."  
>He looks over at Lori.  
>She's still flirting with Bobby.  
>"Leni," he starts, "I don't think this is a good i-"  
>"Do I grab the baby?" Leni snaps, her fist clenched around her die.  
>Lincoln looks at Lori again, then at Leni.  
>Oh God.  
>"...Yes."  
>Leni's eyes are furrowed, her mouth a straight, focused line.  
>"Can I stick it in the cannon."  
>At this point, Bobby glances over curiously at the two bickering siblings.  
>What are they arguing about?  
>The colour drains from the DM's face.  
>His mouth runs dry.  
>"...Yes."

>Bobby leans in a little closer, momentarily ignoring Lori's come-ons.  
>Leni's face lights up.  
>"I stick the baby in the cannon-"  
>Bobby's face falls flat.  
>"-And I aim at the, uh...th-the captain! And-"  
>Bobby starts tapping Lori's shoulder, trying to get her attention.  
>"B-Babe?" he stutters, cold fear running in his veins. "You might want to weigh in on th-"  
>"I fire the baby!" Leni yells triumphantly, rolling the die.  
>Aside from Lori's blabbing, the entire table goes deathly silent.  
>The d20 bounces loudly, plastic clashing with wood as fate decides baby Oliver's fate.  
>Lincoln silently prays for a natural 1.  
>Bobby prays for mercy from the storm to come.  
>Luna prays she can give Leni a head start.  
>Eventually, the plastic bobble settles to a stop.  
>Lincoln, Leni, Luna and Bobby lean in, their breaths held.  
>20.  
>Lincoln swears under his breath.  
>Luna swallows drily.  
>Bobby has his eyes locked on Lori.  
>Leni's face is beaming, the math already done.  
>"Thirty-three!" She gloats, then gasping.  
>"Wait, that's a twenty! That means I, um...I get to roll again for more damage?"  
>"More damage for what?" Lori asks, her attention finally pulled to the table.  
>"Babe, listen," Bobby sputters, putting a hand on her shoulder. "It's...it's not as bad as you th-"  
>Lori's eyes narrow, already sniffing the suspicion in the air.  
>"What's going on?"  
>She looks at Lincoln.  
>"Did you spring a trap?"  
>"Lincoln, I rolled a nineteen. Does...thirty-two hit the captain?" Leni gushes, practically vibrating in her seat.  
>"I thought you were out of ammo," Lori interrupts. "Bobby, what's happening?"  
>Bobby turns away, too frightened to look his partner in the eye.  
>Lori stares blankly.  
>You can hear the gears slowly turn in her head.  
>Tick.  
>Tick.  
>Tic-  
>Her mouth drops open.  
>She stares dumbly at Leni.  
>"You...didn't," she hisses.

>The room remains silent.  
>All eyes lie on a horribly sweating, morbidly terrified little boy.  
>Wearing just the cutest little wizard hat.  
>"Lincoln? Does it hit?" Leni asks again, watching him closely.  
>Lincoln's mouth opens.  
>Then closes.  
>He tries to swallow.  
>He fails.  
>He makes a point of avoiding Lori's gaze.  
>He can feel the room heating up.  
>His chin trembles again.  
>Lincoln can see Bobby, in the corner of his eye.  
>He's desperately shaking his head, begging the young DM to reconsider, to veto, anything.  
>"Don't do this," he mouths out.  
>Lincoln takes a breath.  
>He lowers his head.  
>"...Yes," he answers, his voice barely above a whisper.  
>With a giddy shriek, Leni steals some of Luan's die and rolls her critical damage, counting the numbers out loud.  
>Luna's halfway out of her seat, her eyes firmly locked onto Lori.  
>She looks...calm.  
>Her eyes are focused past the wall, straight ahead of her.  
>She's swaying softly, as if against an imaginary breeze.  
>Aside from the odd facial twitch, she almost looks like she's daydreaming.  
>"My baby," she mumbles.  
>For the first time in several minutes, she blinks.  
>"My...my baby," she repeats.  
>She slowly turns her head to her little sister.  
>Leni's busy gushing over how great this game is to a very pale Lincoln, completely oblivious to the oncoming storm.  
>Lincoln's hand on her chin and a swift twist of his wrist shut her up.  
>Locking eyes with her big sister, Leni realizes, right down to the sheer, minute detail, the ramifications of her actions.  
>Leni takes a frightened step towards the stairs, already hunching over, trying to make herself smaller.  
>"L-Lori," the innocent Loud whimpers.  
>"I-I didn't m-m-mean to-"  
>"You," Lori said, her voice completely flat and devoid of emotion. "Shot my baby."  
>A single tear rolls down her eye.  
>"Out of a cannon."  
>Leni's arms can't stop trembling now.  
>Never have the need to hide and use the bathroom been such close bedfellows.

>The basement door opens, and footsteps can be heard coming down.  
>"Hey guys, sorry I flaked like that, what did I-"  
>Luan stops halfway down, takes one look at the scene playing out before her, and spins on her heel and power walks right back upstairs.  
>At first glance, one would think that Lori was perfectly calm about it.  
>But then one would start to notice the signs.  
>The posture of her legs, her knees pointed directly at Leni.  
>Her left hand is delicately laid at the edge of the table, ready to brace for a hard push in an instant.  
>Her eyes, though staring through her like looking through a window, are locked onto Leni.  
>Locked onto her throat.  
>"You killed my baby," Lori repeats.  
>Lori takes a calm, measured, deliberate breath.  
>And with a bloodcurdling shriek, pushes off against the table, lunging at her sister.  
>Luna intercepts her, throwing her shoulder to block the charge.  
>Bobby quickly follows up, grabbing her from behind and putting her into a full nelson.  
>"MY BABY!" Lori roars, thrashing and spitting violently to break free, desperate to avenge her progeny.  
>"BRO, GET HER OUT OF HERE!" Luna and Bobby shout, struggling desperately to hold her back.  
>Lincoln doesn't have to be told twice, already dragging Leni up the stairs as fast as he can.

>Lincoln shoves Leni into the kitchen, slamming the door behind him.  
>Lori's screaming can be heard clearly, despite the thick wood blocking her.  
>Luna and Bobby can be heard shouting back, trying to get some sense back into the berserking woman.  
>"Leni," Lincoln whispers, bracing his back against the door just in case. "Go hide in my room. Under the bed. Right now."  
>"But-"  
>"Right now, Leni!" Lincoln hisses, rushing to the dining room to grab a chair.  
>"B-but Lincoln-" Leni says, trying to get a word in.  
>"What, Leni?!" Lincoln snaps, wedging the chair under the door knob. "What do you wa-"  
>He blocked the door not a moment too soon.  
>With a deafening howl and panicked shouting from three different voices, footsteps can be hurt barreling up the stairs.  
>The door almost tears off its hinges from the impact, the chair the only barrier between the monstrosity behind it and the two cowering siblings.  
>"Leni, for God's sake, this can wait! I don't want her to k-"  
>"Did I hit?"  
>Lincoln freezes at the question.  
>"What?"  
>"Did I hit?" Leni repeats, looking at him expectantly. "You never answered."  
>Lincoln stares at her.  
>Leni stares back.  
>Lincoln glances at the door bouncing against the chair and the vicious snarling behind it.  
>Lincoln sighs.  
>"...Although the captain will recover physically from his injuries, his mind will...remain in tatters for the remainder of his days."  
>Leni smiles at the answer.  
>"Thank you Lin-"  
>"HURAARGH!"  
>*Skrakt*  
>Lori's fist breaks through the door, her manicured blue claws swiping inches from Leni's face.  
>Luna and Bobby could be heard trying to wrestle her away from the stairs.  
>Leni looks down at Lincoln.  
>Then runs out of the kitchen, and up the stairs.  
>She hears one last hysterical, gibbering shriek before slamming Lincoln's bedroom door behind her.

>Leni doesn't acknowledge the dust under the bed as she crawls under.  
>Huddling in the corner with her knees drawn to her chest, the young Loud tries to make herself as small possible while struggling to muffle her whimpers.  
>She watches the door in fear, counting the seconds to the end of her life.  
>Ten minutes pass.  
>Twenty.  
>Her back starts to cramp, protesting the uncomfortable position she's in.  
>She ignores it, refusing to move a millimetre, lest it give her away.  
>After forty minutes of cowering, she holds back a cry when the door opens.  
>Seeing Lincoln's socks, she relaxes a little.  
>"Leni?" he whispers, kneeling down to peer under the bed.  
>"It's, uh, safe to come out you know."  
>"Where is she?" she whispers back, refusing to budge.  
>"Luan came back in to help. They dragged her into the van, and Bobby took her for a ride."  
>He looks out towards the hall, listening for any noise.  
>"We're guessing you have an hour before she gets back to grab some stuff and settle down."  
>He groans, rubbing his eyes.  
>How did this happen?  
>"You're...going to be staying with me for the time being."  
>With a little help from her brother, Leni crawls out from under the bed, sneaking into her and Lori's room.  
>Throwing a week's worth of clothes into an overnight bag, along with some magazines and make up, Leni collects the essentials while Lincoln fetches a sleeping bag.  
>Leni sets up a small spot on his dresser to lay her clothes on when the front door slams.  
>With a squeak, Leni ducks back under the bed.  
>Lincoln quickly shoves her clothes back into the bag, kicking it under the bed and jumping onto the mattress, just as Lori pushes the door open.  
>She stares down at him, her face an impassive mask.  
>He stares back, sweating bullets.

>The two Louds stare silently at each other for a moment.  
>Lori speaks first.  
>"So. The game was...fun," she says calmly.  
>"I-"  
>"Shut. Your mouth. I know she's in here."  
>Lincoln and Leni gulp.  
>"And she can stay here, for all I care. Just make sure she understands to stay away from me for the time being."  
>Without waiting for an answer or protest, the oldest Loud turns and leaves, closing the door behind her.  
>A minute later, Leni crawls out from under the bed.  
>The first thing she does is hug Lincoln on the bed.  
>The second thing she does is cry.  
>Leni does her best to respect Lori's demand.  
>Whenever Lori enters the room, she immediately leaves.  
>If she finds herself in a position where she's unable to flee, Leni just sits as still as possible and holds her breath until her sister leaves.  
>To her credit, the older Loud doesn't go out of her way to antagonize her.  
>She entirely ignores her, almost regarding her as little more than an ant cowering before a boot.  
>She doesn't say a single word to Leni.  
>Finally, after the most stressful week in her life, Lori sits down beside her on the couch, late Friday afternoon.  
>"Mom and Dad are taking everyone up to see Aunt Ruth," she says, staring straight ahead.  
>"Not you, and not Lincoln," she follows up, still not looking at her sister. "You're staying home."  
>Lori takes a breath, then turns her head to look at Leni.  
>Leni keeps her head down.  
>"You can come back into our room. And when we get home, we...we can talk. Alright?"  
>Leni nods, still silent.  
>"Good."  
>Lori gets up and walks out, as if nothing happened.

>Leni doesn't wave the family off as they leave in the morning.  
>She spends the majority of the day holed up in her room, curled up in a ball on her bed.  
>Aside from using the bathroom and grabbing her stuff from Lincoln's room, she makes up for lost time with the stuffed animals she left behind during her exodus.  
>Lincoln manages to force her to eat a bit of dinner, but after that gives her her space.  
>In the middle of the night, Leni's sleeping in her room, happy to have her space back.  
>Both of them are, really.  
>*Kramn*  
>Leni shifts in her bed, mumbling softly as the rain starts to come down heavily.  
>She settles back into her slumber.  
>*KRRRRAAAGK*  
>But not for long.  
>Leni wakes with a start, her breath fast and shallow.  
>She rips her blindfold off and clutches her temples, struggling to control her breathing.  
>The only sounds in the room are the pelting of water outside and her whimpering.  
>She looks across the room, finding the opposite bed empty.  
>Then she remembers the previous week.  
>A strangled sob escapes her mouth, just before another deafening peal of thunder racks the house.  
>*CLU-TCHOOOM*  
>Leni flees the room, cold panic powering her legs.  
>She dashes down the hall, barreling through its minefield of obstacles.  
>Her fractured mind is focused on only one objective.  
>Find safety.  
>And if last week were anything to go by, there's only one safe place in the entire house she could seek sanctuary.  
>Pushing Lincoln's bedroom door open, Leni wastes no time slipping under the covers, clutching her confused brother as if her life depended on it.

Roll Initiative, a Prelude to Stormbringer.  
~Fin~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God, this was fun.


	5. The Stars my Destination

>Leni enters her bedroom, followed shortly by Lori, closing the door behind her.  
>Leni sits down on her bed, her hands carefully folded onto her lap, her feet weakly tapping against the carpet.  
>Her eyes pointed straight down.  
>Lori watches from the door for a moment.  
>It's remarkable how quickly Leni's attitude has changed in the last ten minutes.  
>Moments ago, she was willing to fight Lori over her choice of company.  
>But now, after Luna stole Lin-  
>No.  
>Lori shakes her head.  
>No, Luna took Lincoln to her room to keep him from them, for his sake.  
>*Brrrhmm*  
>A soft rumbling echoes outside.  
>Lori can hear water start to hit the roof.  
>Super.  
>"Hf...hf, hf..."  
>Her attention focuses on Leni again.  
>She's sniffling, and Lori can see her bean-stained blouse starting to dampen with her tears.  
>The older sister rubs her tired eyes.  
>The fight's clearly out of both of them.  
>With a sigh, she pushes away from the door and sits down beside her baby sister.  
>Leni flinches at the mattress' shift in weight, but quickly leans into her big sister, her hands still tucked to her chest.  
>Wrapping an arm around her and kissing her head, Lori gives Leni a moment to calm down.  
>Despite all the stress of the last week, and the dreadful atmosphere, Lori's glad to have her sister back in her room.  
>She...missed her.  
>"Lori...?"

>Lori pets Leni's hair, rocking the pair gently as the younger tries to talk.  
>"It's Ok, Leni," she whispers into her sister's hair. "I'm here."  
>Leni accepts the hug, leaning into Lori's chest as she shivers.  
>Lori can feel her blouse dampen.  
>"I am so...so sorry," she chokes out.  
>"It's not...it isn't your fault, Leni."  
>"Y-yes it is!" she wheezes, worming an arm between them to return the hug.  
>"I-I talked back to y-you! I almost h-hurt you. I...I hurt Linc-"  
>"Lincoln's Ok!" Lori interrupts, reaching up to stroke Leni's cheek. "He's just resting in Luna's room. We'll talk to him when he's awake, we'll all sort this out."  
>Lori reflects on the argument downstairs as Leni continues to cry.  
>Leni saw them.  
>In bed.  
>On her knees.  
>...On the ceiling.  
>She winces at the last thought.  
>She just wanted to toss him in the air.  
>A harmless prank, that's all.  
>Why did she throw him so hard?  
>Pushing that aside, Lori continues rocking her distraught sister as she thinks further back.

>Lori thinks about the last week.  
>Today, Lori tried to talk to Leni.  
>That went well.  
>Yesterday, she wanted to talk to her, but found she went to a party.  
>The day before, she and the family came home.  
>She was the only one to notice Leni and Lincoln together on the couch.  
>She didn't take their positioning into account, chalking it up to Leni just being clingy.  
>Then, two days earlier, Lori talked to Leni, explaining the road trip.  
>Lori frowns.  
>That was the first time she spoke to her sister in a week.  
>Or even acknowledged her existence.  
>She looked so...scared when Lori sat down on the couch.  
>The pit in her stomach grows, the lurching emptiness making her feel sick.  
>Then, before that...  
>Before the silent treatment...  
>Before kicking her Leni out of their room...  
>"The game," Lori whispers to herself, pausing her ministrations.  
>"Huh?" Leni whispers, pulling her head back to look at her sister.  
>Lori gently pushes her away, staring at the floor, nowhere in particular.  
>"This is all my fault," she says, deadpan.  
>Dumbfounded.  
>"I kicked you out after that stupid game in the basement," she continues, her vision starting to swim from her tears. "I wouldn't even look at you for a week...I...I told mom and dad to leave you and Lincoln home, alone..."  
>She feels her sister wrap her arms around her shoulders.  
>She doesn't resist being pulled into Leni's embrace.  
>"This is all my fault," Lori chokes out.  
>She whimpers when her little sister strokes her hair, humming quietly, tunelessly.  
>"I am so, so sorry."  
>And there go the water works.

>Lori and Leni take turns weeping and consoling each other.  
>They take a brief pause to allow Leni to change her clothes.  
>The beans were starting to dry, and Leni can't resist a need to keep herself clean.  
>When the thunder starts crashing down on the house, Leni instinctively latches onto her sister.  
>Lori eagerly accepts it, returning the hug as a fresh string of crying breaks out.  
>The two sisters, the Daughters of Loud, reunited at last.  
>Lori feels at ease with Leni's familiar weight against her.  
>All the stress, anger and anxiety just melts away from the older Loud.  
>As she kisses Leni's cheeks to stem her frightened hiccups, Lori can't help but think that this is the happiest she's been all month.  
>*KRA-KOOOM*  
>The sky's sudden explosion outside catches her flat-footed.  
>The next few minutes are a blur.  
>When she regains her bearings, she finds herself on the far corner of the bed, with Leni straddling her legs.  
>Their arms wrapped around each other.  
>Leni's lips firmly locked onto hers.  
>Lori can't help but push her tongue into Leni's mouth, thrilling at the soft moan escaping their embrace.  
>Leni pushes herself harder into Lori, their busts squishing together.  
>She knows she should protest, push her away, say something.  
>This is wrong.  
>But she doesn't want to lose her Leni ag-  
>*SHZZZ*  
>Another deafening crash outside.  
>Sounds like the tree took a hit.  
>When Lori opens her eyes again, she finds herself under the sheets.  
>She can feel Leni trembling against her belly, cowering from the storm outside.  
>Blindly groping for her hair, Lori guides her sister's face back above the covers.  
>Tucking her frightened sister into her shoulder, Lori quietly clears her throat.  
>She's not as good a singer as Luna, but she knows what always calms her little sister down during a storm.

>"So lay down your weary head, try and sleep now," Lori sings, raising her voice just enough to be heard over the din outside.  
>"Calm your shallow little breaths, be at peace now..."  
>Pausing between lines to plant a soft kiss on her forehead, Lori sees a near-immediate response.  
>Leni's terrified blubbering instantly snuffs out into a mere frightened whimpering.  
>Her sniffling face isn't contorted in a mask of utter panic.  
>Lori can feel Leni's hearbeat start to slow down.  
>"Another day calls out for you make your own," Lori continues, pausing again to kiss her sister. "This one goes where all the other days have flown..."  
>Eventually, Leni's whimpering cease, and soon after Lori can feel her breathing even out and her body relaxing.  
>Aside from the odd sniff and mumble, Leni was completely asleep.  
>Tucking her hair behind her ear, Lori settles back and watches Leni rest beside her.  
>She knows they still need to talk.  
>Hell, she still needs to finish talking to Bobby.  
>But...another minute won't hurt, would it?  
>Just her and Leni.  
>Together again.  
>Just a minute, that's all.  
>Lori closes her eyes, shutting out the rain outside and focusing on Leni's steady heartbeat.  
>She quickly finds her island of tranquility, and before long, Lori finds herself slipping into her own dreams.  
>Leni mumbles in her sleep, fumbling to find Lori's hand.  
>Lori shifts in her sleep as well, reaching out to grab Leni's hand.  
>Leni squeezes.  
>Lori squeezes back.  
>A small, content smile grows on both sister's faces.

>Luna sighs, pausing her guitar-playing for a moment to rest her fingers.  
>She looks back at Lincoln, sleeping on Luan's bed again.  
>Luna gets off Mr. Beany, stepping closer to her brother to look at him.  
>The bruise on his neck hasn't grown any bigger, thank God.  
>And the light scratches on his face have stopped swelling.  
>She can't help but marvel at the resilience the young boy has.  
>Luna thinks back on the amount of damage the boy has sustained over the years.  
>Lynn's exercises.  
>Luan's jokes.  
>Lucy's need for attention.  
>Leni's impulse issues.  
>Lori's temper.  
>Gently kissing his warm cheek, Luna settles down on the floor, inspecting her brother's young, freckled face.  
>She won't lie to herself.  
>She's done stupid stuff to him herself.  
>Even when you remove the music, she still joined in the bullying when they were all younger.  
>One in particular stands out, even now.  
>She and Lori were popping bubblewrap in the kitchen when a seven-year-old Lincoln walks in, asking for juice.  
>Then he asked to play with some bubblewrap too.  
>They took him to the backyard to "play."  
>After mummifying him in close to thirty feet of bubblewrap.  
>They used to have a seesaw in the backyard.  
>Mr. Loud took it away after the two catapulted their brother into the air, causing him to bounce off of the garage roof.  
>His hair changed colour after that.  
>Luna pauses and thinks, struggling to concentrate.  
>What was it before that...?  
>"Muh...?"  
>Luna jumps back in surprise, her focus squarely back on the white-haired kid.  
>Lincoln groans again, his eyes cracking open as he wakes up.  
>She already clutching his hand, hoping their connection as a lifeline would keep him conscious.  
>"Luna? Why am I in your room?" he asks, rubbing his head.  
>"Never mind that," she says, gently squeezing his hand. "How do you feel, luv?"  
>"Truth or a lie?"  
>"Lincoln."  
>"...Not great," he admits, squeezing her hand back.

>Thunder can be heard rolling periodically outside.  
>The rain's gotten heavier.  
>It's a miracle they don't have a leaky basement.  
>Lincoln's eyes widen when he realizes where he is.  
>"Leni," he whispers urgently, shooing Luna's hand from his head.  
>As he struggles to sit up, his sister can see him struggling to hide his pain.  
>Resting her hand on his chest, Luna pushes down on Lincoln's collar bone, gently forcing back into lying down.  
>"Easy there, soldier," she whispers. "You're not leaving this room until I say so."  
>"B-but Leni-!" Lincoln protests.  
>She shakes her head.  
>"She'll be fine. I'm more worried about you now. Here."  
>Reaching under the bed, she pulls out a small plastic flask.  
>Taking a sip from it, she offers the small container to her brother.  
>He stares at it, then her, then back to it.  
>Luna rolls her eyes.  
>"Take it easy, it's just apple juice."  
>Bringing the flask under his nose, Lincoln can smell the sweetness of delicious apple.  
>Taking it, Lincoln takes a tentative sip.  
>Yep.  
>Apple juice.  
>Taking another sip, he passes it back to Luna.  
>"You know, this is why people think you drink."  
>"Shut it."

>After letting him finish her drink, Luna walks Lincoln to Mr. Beany.  
>After he sits down, she follows suit, sitting right in front of him.  
>"This might hurt, but I need you to do some things for me before I let you out," Luna says, stroking his hand. "Ok?"  
>Lincoln looks over at the door, seeing it barricaded by the cabinet.  
>Sighing, he nods.  
>"Thanks, bro. Alright, can you lift your arms above your head for me?"  
>Lincoln does so, ignoring the pins of irritation in his skin.  
>"Good, now stretch them out to your sides."  
>He follows the request, wincing slightly as he extends his left arm.  
>"Alright, not bad. Now, I'm going to need you to lift-huh?"  
>Luna's attention snaps to the door.  
>Pressing a finger to her lip, she quietly gets up and walks over.  
>She presses her ear to the door, narrowing her eyes, listening carefully.  
>After a moment, she relaxes.  
>"Ok, Lori and Leni went down downstairs. We've got some actual privacy now."  
>Sitting back down, Luna sighs before speaking further.  
>"I have to ask some...uncomfortable questions, Lincoln. Do you think you can answer them?"  
>Seeing his nod, she cups his face and stares deeply into his eyes.  
>Luna swallows, fighting back the urge to hug him.  
>"Leni said some...serious things at lunch. Do you remember what she said?"  
>The combination of the invasion to his personal space and seeing where this is going, a blush creeps onto the boy's face.  
>Seeing his nod, Luna closes her eyes, tapping her forehead against his.  
>"...Alright. These questions are going to suck, bro. But I do this because I care."  
>Taking a deep breath, Luna opens here eyes again, her brown meeting his blue.

>Luna doesn't want to do this.  
>She very much doesn't want to do this.  
>But she can't ignore something like this.  
.She has to know what's been happening.  
>Scooting closer until their knees are touching, Luna begins her interrogation.  
>"Leni's been rooming with you for the last week, right?" She asks.  
>"Yeah, but that's b-"  
>"I know, the game," she cuts him off.  
>Seeing him flinch, she sighs again.  
>"Sorry, luv. I'll let you finish next time. Alright, um...Has Leni been sleeping with you in your bed?"  
>"She was sl...I didn't want her to sleep on the floor anymore."  
>Luna nods slowly.  
>She knows how deep his altruism runs.  
>He'd offer a kidney without being prompted if one of them needed it.  
>That's what she loves so much about him.  
>But it scares her too.  
>His compassion will be the death of him.  
>Luna swallows again, steeling herself for what's next.  
>"Has Leni...has she t-touched you?"  
>Lincoln stares blankly at her.  
>"She...hugs me a lot when she's scared?"  
>"No, I me-look. Has she grabbed you...around here?"  
>She taps her finger against his thigh, close to his groin.  
>Lincoln furrows his brow, thinking back now.  
>"...Once, I think," he admits.  
>Luna's heart sinks with the news.  
>"But that was in her sleep," he adds. "And it was a quick, uh..."  
>He brings a hand up, making a couple quick grabbing motions.  
>"You know?"

>Luna sniffs, nodding her head.  
>"Yeah, I...I getcha, luv."  
>Taking a breath, she continues.  
>"Leni said that you also...touched her back. Is that true?"  
>Lincoln swallows hard, and Luna can feel him grow hot.  
>He can't turn his head away, with her hands clutching his cheeks.  
>The best he can do is look aside.  
>"Am I...in trouble?" he asks softly.  
>"No! No no nonono, you're not in trouble!"   
>Scuttling closer, Luna rests her weight on his lap, being mindful of his sore muscles as she pulls him into a soft hug.  
>Despite the stab of pain in his side from Leni's earlier crushing, Lincoln accepts the embrace, returning it with a squeeze of his own.  
>He can't help but compare Luna to his other sisters.  
>She doesn't grapple him like Leni, or dump her weight on him like Lori.  
>She's not even as warm as the others.  
>But she keeps most of her weight on her knees, and her cooler skin doesn't feel as smothering as her sisters.  
>He can't help but notice that her chest is not as large as Lori or Leni's.  
>However, as he rests his head against Luna's bust, he admits that it's still remarkably soft and relaxing to him.

>"I'm just worried, that's all," Luna reassures, tapping their heads together again.  
>Lincoln coughs, clearing his throat before answering.  
>"The night before you guys came home, Leni and I were hanging out on the couch. She freaked out when the power cut out, and I had to talk her down from...whatever," he admits.  
>"I did what worked last time she got scared: Held her, rubbed her back and sides, told her I'm there for her. And I...I kissed her that time."  
>Luna stares down at her little brother.  
>"You kissed her?" she repeats.  
>She can feel his cheek warm up again.  
>"Y-yeah," he admits. "Just a peck on the lips, and I told her she was my favourite sister."  
>"B-but only because she was still too scared!" he sputters, feeling her grip on him tighten.  
>Resting her chin on his head, Luna shushes his worries while stroking his hair.  
>"It's okay, bro. I understand. What happened next?"  
>"Well," he pauses, rubbing his itchy nose against her shirt.  
>She smells nice.  
>"When I told her I loved her, that seemed to calm her down. Then she...kissed me back."  
>Lincoln can feel her body quiver as she let's out a shaky breath.  
>"...Okay. And?"  
>"Well...you know how when you kiss someone, you do it for a second and let go?"  
>"Yeah?"  
>"She...Leni didn't let go."  
>Luna swallows hard.  
>"Y-yeah?"  
>"Then she pulled me...on top of her, and put her legs behind me to keep me pressed against her."  
>She closes her eyes, her hands absentmindedly rubbing his back.  
>"Then she started rubbing her hands against me. My sides, my back, my arms. She grabbed my hair a few times. And then I...started getting into it."  
>"A-and what did you do?" Luna whispers, fearful of the answer.

>"I tried to copy what Leni was doing with her kiss. She really liked that, I think."  
>"Uh...uh huh?"  
>Lincoln pauses for a second, gathering his thoughts.  
>He can feel his sister's arms trembling.  
>"And then I put my feet on the floor to push myself harder against her body, which made her pull me tighter against her."  
>Luna hugs him tighter, ignoring his flinch.  
>Sighing heavily, she motions him to continue.  
>"Then...uh, then I moved my hands against her. I rubbed her sides, her hips, her thighs. Then I...I, uh..."  
>Lincoln pauses to take a breath.  
>He knows this isn't going to go well.  
>"I got my hand under her sweater. Her skin was so soft and warm. She really liked feeling my hand go higher, against her belly."  
>Luna then notices that she's pushed Lincoln down into Mr. Beany, draping herself against him.  
>She doesn't pull away, though. She has to know how far this went.  
>"I...I-I touched her b...I g-grabbed her b-b..."  
>Luna rubs her cheek against his hair, trying to calm her brother.  
>"Shhhh. I getcha, luv. Did anything else happen?"  
>Lincoln thinks back, his hands shifting lower to grip his sister's hips.  
>"Leni...Leni really liked that I did that, I think," he admits. "She stopped kissing me and just started gasping. But I still wanted to kiss her, so I just...I dunno, grabbed onto her neck?"  
>Luna couldn't help but be a little impressed.  
>Not even twelve, but already hitting second base?  
>Girls will be throwing themselves at him when he hits middle school.

>"Did anything else happen?" Luna asks quietly.  
>"No. The power came on, and Leni left to clean her makeup and put on some pyjamas. I reset the clocks in the kitchen, then we had a snack before going to back to the TV. You guys came home a few hours later."  
>Luna stealthily wipes her eyes.  
>She knows Lincoln wouldn't lie about something like this.  
>But she has to ask.  
>"Were you...were you scared when that happened? At all?"  
>She feels his shoulder rise under her body in a shrug.  
>"Not really? I mean, I was surprised when she started kissing me, but then I started liking it. It felt nice."  
>...Okay.  
>Okay, she can accept that.  
>Just a moment of passion caused by conflicting emotions.  
>Luna sighs, stopping herself from groaning as she sits up, leaving the warm little cocoon she made with her brother.  
>"And what about Lori"? she asks, rubbing his shoulders. "Did she do anything to you? Did anything Leni say happen?"  
>Lincoln furrows his brow, thinking deeply.  
>"...No. No, I don't think so."  
>"Well, what happened then?"  
>"Lori came home and wanted to talk to Leni. She was gone, so I made her dinner and we hung out."  
>He pauses to rub his cheek against her palm.  
>Her cool skin is calming.  
>"Then the rain started again, and we started arguing, and the power cut out again, and she threw herself at m-"  
>"She did what?!" Luna snaps, grabbing his collar and pulling his face up to hers.  
>She can feel his hands dig into her skirt in fear.  
>"Sh-she th-threw herself at m-me!" her brother stammers. "She k-knocked me down and g-g-got on top of me! A-and she rolled into a little ball and c-cried until the p-power came b-back!"  
>Luna blinks, letting his collar go.  
>"O-oh. Uh, sorry bro..."  
>She smooths his hair out, looking into his eyes again.  
>"What else happened?"

>"She kept holding on to me even after the power came back and her movie was playing," Lincoln explains. "When I told her it was time for bed, she wouldn't do anything until I led her to her room."  
>Luna rubs her eyes.  
>This is getting ridiculous.  
>Rolling her fingers, she motions him to continue.  
>"She asked me to stay in her room," he says. "'I don't want to be alone', she told me. After we changed, I got into Leni's bed and fell asleep. I woke up to Lori crying again. She was still asleep, but she didn't look good."  
>"So you went into her bed to help her relax?" Luna asks.  
>He nods.  
>"Yep. Lori stopped crying when she felt me hug her, and I fell back asleep after that."  
>Then his face turns deadpans.  
>"Then she threw me into the ceiling."  
>"Th-the ceiling?" Luna balks.  
>She can't help but laugh at the mental image.  
>"Why on earth would she do that?"  
>Lincoln shrugs, now annoyed.  
>"I don't know! She thought it'd be funny or something?"  
>He sighs, relaxing against Mr. Beany again.  
>"Then she told me to go downstairs, and we had lunch."

>"And then Leni and Lori had that fight, and here we are," Luna concludes, rolling over to sit beside Lincoln.  
>"And here we are," Lincoln agrees, pushing himself back to recline against Mr. Beany.  
>The two siblings sat in silence, their legs the only connecting point.  
>He looks out the window, at the grey sky outside.  
>"You're not scared of thunder, huh?" he asks, breaking the silence.  
>Luna looks out the window as well, as if just noticing the storm outside.  
>"Well, I used to be," she answers, watching the water streak down the glass.  
>"Used to be?"  
>"Yeah. Mom thinks it might run in the family. Only ones not afraid, I think, are you, dad, and..."  
>She pauses to think, narrowing her eyes as she stares at the lacework of white flash across the clouds.  
>"I want to say Lynn, but it's hard to say with her."  
>She gets up, dusting her skirt off before helping Lincoln up.  
>She pulls him into a tight hug, patting his back and resting her cheek against his.  
>"I'm glad you're Ok, bro," she says, hoisting him up and putting her back into the hug.  
>Dropping him back down, Luna puts on a serious face.

>"Look. You'll have to leave eventually, and I know you're a smart kid. "  
>She pauses, making sure Lincoln's paying attention.  
>Happy that his focus is on her, she continues.  
>"You have to understand that what Leni did during that freak out, it's not...I'm just worried about where this could go."  
>"I know."  
>"If they try any-"  
>Luna stops talking.  
>She looks down at her brother in her arms.  
>He looks back.  
>"You...know? What?"  
>"I had sex-ed last year," Lincoln explains. "And after the outage, I looked up why I felt all weird."  
>Luna stares blankly at him.  
>"...Oh. And you're...cool with what happened?"  
>Lincoln thinks for a second, then shrugs.  
>"I guess? I mean, I liked it when Leni kissed me and held me with her legs, and if it doesn't hurt anyone, why not do more?"  
>He cocks an eyebrow at her.  
>"Are you?"

>"Yes. N-no. I mean, it's..."  
>You can see the wheels spinning in Luna's mind.  
>She's scrambling for a simple answer.  
>Giving up, she sighs.  
>"Let's sit down, Ok?" she says, letting go of Lincoln and walking to Luan's bed.  
>Dropping down onto the mattress, she pats the spot beside her.  
>She takes a deep breath, resting her chin on her hands.  
>For a few moments, the only sound in the room is the ticking of the clock, and the howling wind outside.  
>Luna doesn't look at Lincoln when she starts.  
>"I'm...I'll be honest, bro," she says quietly. "I'm not okay with this. Leni's an innocent girl, but I-I feel like she's taking advantage of you."  
>She's focusing on the closet across the room now, staring intently at the white slats on the opened door.  
>"I trust you when you say Lori didn't do anything, but Leni's...Leni wouldn't lie about something like that. And I just can't let you...it doesn't feel right."  
>"Luna, it's Ok."  
>Lincoln wraps an arm around his sister, pulling her into a side hug.  
>"Leni would never hurt me inten-."  
>"Let me finish," she says, holding back a sob.  
>Taking a breath, she lays her cards down.  
>"I don't like it, and I feel like she's taking advantage of you without her knowing, but...but I feel like a hypocrite if I told you to stay away from her."  
>"What? Why would you think that?"  
>Luna scoffs, shifting herself closer to Lincoln.  
>"I'm a musician, Lincoln. I have my eyes set on stardom. And Chunk's told me a lot of stories about the industry. The good, the bad, and the ugly sides of it."  
>She puts an arm around his side now, returning the hug while resting her cheek on his head.  
>"I'm not an idiot, bro. I know the dangers being a rocker has. But I love music so much."  
>Luna coughs awkwardly.  
>"'Sides, you'd be surprised at how many celebrities have plucked fruit from the family tree."  
>"...Huh? What do you mean?"

>"Doesn't matter. Now listen."  
>Luna gets off the bed, stepping in front of Lincoln.  
>"Look at me."  
>Getting on her knees, she cups his cheeks with her hands and stares into his eyes.  
>"Lori and Leni are back in their room, so I'm going to let you out."  
>What a beautiful shade of blue.  
>"Go get some food, read a comic, whatever you do at this time."  
>Lincoln places his his hands on her wrists.  
>His hands are soft.  
>"If you...if you want to see Leni, I won't stop you."  
>She's struggling to keep her voice from cracking.  
>"But if you get scared, if she hurts you, or-or she tries to make you do something you don't want to do..."  
>Her eyes start to water up.  
>"You get out of there. You understand me? You run away, and you come right back in here. I'll...I'll keep you safe, bro."  
>His eyes look so innocent.  
>"Ok?"  
>Lincoln nods, reaching his hand over to pet her short hair.  
>"Say it."  
>"I promise I'll leave if something happens," he repeats.  
>Smiling, Luna leans forward, pressing her lips gently against his.  
>She feels Lincoln's hands maneuver to her waist, holding tight against her hips.  
>Breaking the kiss, she looks with tears in her eyes at her blushing brother.  
>"...Good. I love you, bro."  
>Standing up, she yanks Lincoln off the bed and pushes him to the door.  
>"Now git outta here you little bugger."  
>Closing the door, she listens carefully for his footsteps.  
>He's going to his room.  
>Must be changing his shirt.  
>Locking her door again, Luna sits down on Mr. Beany, her face oddly neutral.  
>When a thunderous crash bellows outside the house, she buries her face in her hands.  
>Weeping.

>Lincoln, with fresh clothes on, walks out of his parent's bathroom fully refreshed.  
>Mom and dad normally forbid the use of their bathroom outside of emergencies.  
>But mom and dad are normally home to enforce that rule.  
>Going into the kitchen, he whips up a quick meal before going up to the living room.  
>Settling down with a peanut butter and cheese whiz sandwich, he skims over an older issue of Ace Savvy while the TV plays a rerun in the background.  
>As he reads how the Red Card lay in critical condition protecting the team from the Ironclad, Lincoln can't help but think about Luna.  
>She's always been supportive of his decisions over the years.  
>She's always skirted the rules when she can, just for the experience of living.  
>But this...  
>She was very upset about this.  
>Why?  
>Before he can think further, Lincoln catches a flash outside the window.  
>Followed by a sonic boom.  
>Then the lights flickering, then shutting off, then the house plunging into darkness.  
>With the newfound silence, he can easily hear an anguished cry from upstairs.  
>With a sigh, the boy finishes his sandwich, licking his fingers clean before getting up.  
>Creeping upstairs, Lincoln tiptoes down the hall toward Leni and Lori's room.  
>Although her door is closed, he can feel Luna's presence right behind it.  
>She's listening for any sign of him.  
>He taps on the door, and a second later she cracks it open.  
>Through the darkness he can make out her face. She looks tired.  
>"I'll be okay, Luna," he whispers, reaching through the doorway to touch her shoulder.  
>She doesn't answer.  
>She just stares at him with hooded eyes.  
>Nudging his hand away, Luna closes the door, but not before saying something to him.  
>"Remember your promise."  
>Hearing the lock click, Lincoln crosses the hall to his oldest sister's room.  
>He can hear muffled sobbing.  
>He takes a breath.  
>He knocks on the door.  
>*Tp tp tp*  
>"Leni? Lori?" Lincoln calls out quietly. "It's...it's me. Can I come in, please?"

>The crying stops, but nobody answers.  
>For a time, nothing happens.  
>"I'm not leaving," he states.  
>Lincoln waits patiently for a response.  
>More silence. Then, with an impatient sigh, he grabs the doorknob.  
>He's surprised to find it unlocked.  
>As he twists it, he looks back at Luna's room.  
>It's still closed, and he can't sense her being near the door anymore.  
>Turning around, he opens the door to his sisters' room, and steps through.  
>Closing the door, Lincoln has to wait a minute for his eyes to adjust.  
>The room is pitch-black, and he can only make out faint outlines in the darkness.  
>He hears bedsheets moving, followed by a sniff.  
>"...Lincoln?"

Chapter Five: The Stars My Destination.  
~Fin~


	6. Lincoln's Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> OH SHI-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you haven't noticed, I keep flipping back and forth on whether to go lewd or not with this story.  
> Yeah.

>An hour ago.  
>Following Lori into the kitchen, Leni goes straight for the fridge, digging through the appliance for ingredients.  
>"You want anything, Lori?" she asks, calling from the fridge she's waist-deep in.  
>"You know what? Sure," Lori replies, pulling some coffee grounds she stashed behind the cold medicine.  
>The good stuff, effectively hidden in plain sight.  
>Genius.  
>Leni pulls herself out of the fridge, looking towards Lori with a light glare.  
>Lori notices her expression, and mentally rolls her eyes.  
>"Sorry. Yes, please."  
>Her face brightens up again, leaning over to dump the assorted fruits and spices onto the counter before diving in again.  
>As Lori starts prepping the coffee maker, she tries to figure out what to say.  
>She defused the situation from earlier, but she and Leni still need to discuss what is actually happening between them their brother.  
>She feels her cheeks start to warm up.  
>...And between them, too.  
>She hates to admit it, but Leni's a very good kisser, if inexperienced and overeager.  
>With a tap of her finger, the coffee machine starts humming softly, toiling away at a much needed cup of coffee.  
>Leaning back, Lori loses herself in her thoughts.  
>She's had a lot of fights this week.  
>Leni.  
>Lincoln the night before.  
>Bobby boo bo...Bobby, the night before.  
>The thought of her boyfriend brings a sense of dread to the sister.  
>The party.  
>She told him to go ahead without her, she'd be late.  
>She didn't know there would be alcohol; she would have told him to wait for her.  
>And that...whore...  
>Lori could feel her blood pressure starting to rise, at the mere thought of that woman.  
>She walked in on them, trying to find Bobby.  
>She was all over him.  
>Slobbering like a dog.  
>Lori narrows her eyes, struggling to remember the details.  
>She saw that girl before...  
>But where...?  
>*VRRRRRMMMM*  
>With a startled cry, Lori wrenches herself away from her thoughts, looking at the source of the noise.

>Lori groans.  
>"Leni, I've told you before, warn me before you start blending."  
>Leni's concentration falters, a look of apprehension on her face.  
>"I did tell you, weren't you listening?."  
>She starts wringing her hands nervously.  
>"I-I didn't mean to startle you. I'm sorry, I don't...I don't want to fight anymore."  
>With a sight, Lori turns back to where she was staring before, already slipping back into her memories.  
>"It's Ok, Leni," the older Loud whispers, drumming her fingers absentmindedly. "You just spooked me, don't worry about it."  
>Blocking out the sound of the blender, Lori digs deeper.  
>She knew that girl before.  
>That's why she was so angry at the party.  
>"Leni," Lori calls, raising her voice to catch her attention, "you remember Carol Pingry, right?"  
>"The Junior Prom incident? I thought you were over that."  
>"Watch it," Lori warns. "But yeah, Junior Prom. Do you remember who we hung out with before Carol? She was taller than us? Black hair, I think?"  
>Leni stops the blender to inspect her smoothie.  
>Satisfied, she unhooks the pitcher from the base, and grabs three glasses from the cabinet.  
>"I know who you're talking about," she answers, pouring the slurry carefully into the containers.  
>"Her name was...she's, uh..."  
>Pulling back, Leni scratches her head, concentrating hard on the question.  
>"Wait, I know, Verity!"  
>Snapping her finger in victory, Leni returns to her task at hand.  
>"Verity St. Pierre. We used to be bee-eff-effs. Then mom told us we weren't allowed to see her anymore."  
>"Well, I saw her yesterday," Lori replies coolly, pulling the coffee pot from its base, pouring a steaming cup of brew for herself.  
>"Yeah? Where, uh," Leni pauses, already knowing this won't end well, "Where did you see her?"  
>"At the party," Lori answers, blowing softly to cool her drink. "Making out with Bobby."  
>Leni chooses her next words carefully.  
>Very, very carefully.  
>"Lori, I-I'm sorry," she offers, trying to keep herself calm.

>"Don't worry about it, Len."  
>Taking a hard sip of her drink, Lori shrugs off the bitter taste before continuing.  
>"Bobby texted me when we were napping," she explains, taking another sip. "He wants to talk about what happened."  
>Feeling the pause means it's her turn, Leni chooses her words carefully.  
>"Was...was Bobby drunk?" She asks.  
>"Oh, literally no doubt about that. He was completely out of it when I went there."  
>Lori shakes her head.  
>"Doesn't forgive what he did, but I can't pin all the blame on him. So, he texted me when we were napping. He wants to talk."  
>Finishing her coffee, Lori rinses her mug out before looking at her nervous sister.  
>"So I'm going out to talk to him. I'll be at his house for an hour or two. You're in charge until I'm back."  
>Seeing Leni nod, Lori takes a small breath.  
>"Ok, Leni. New ground rule."  
>She raises her hand, forefinger extended.  
>"Stay away from Lincoln and Luna. Just...just give them space, Ok?"  
>Leni nods again, taking a tentative sip of her smoothie.  
>"You can watch TV or whatever or stay in our room, just don't bother them until I come back."  
>"I won't," the younger sister answers glumly, offering a full glass to Lori.  
>"Sorry Leni, I have to get going."  
>Lori steps closer to her, giving her a light kiss on the forehead.  
>"I'll try not to be long, I promise."  
>She leaves the room, leaving Leni alone with her drinks.  
>Dejected, she cleans up her mess, puts the remaining glasses in the fridge, and slowly walks to the stairs.  
>Opening the door, she sees Lori packing a small box with trinkets, baubles and assorted items she and Bobby traded and gained over the weeks.  
>She pauses.  
>She taps on the door to get her sister's attention.  
>"Lori?" she starts, keeping her voice low to avoid agitating Luna, "Why did you ask me about Verity?"  
>Lori doesn't look at her, too busy filling the box with more mementos.  
>"That's not what you want to know, Leni," Lori answers, picking up the box to test it's weight.

>She walks over to the dresser, taking off her shirt to find something thicker.  
>"Rephrase the question, and I'll explain it to you."  
>Leni rubs her chin, thinking over what to say.  
>She tries again.  
>"Why...did you care about who Verity was at the party?"  
>"Rephrase the question," Lori says, putting on a green sweater.  
>Leni scratches her head in frustration.  
>Why is she doing this?  
>"Why...why did mom tell us we couldn't play anymore?"  
>Lori sits down, sighing heavily.  
>Her eyes look tired.  
>Patting the spot beside her, she invites her sister to join her on the bed.  
>"Leni, Verity wasn't...a nice person."  
>Leni stares at her, nodding to get her to continue.  
>"You might not remember, but she was nice to mom and us, but she..."  
>Lori swallows.  
>"She did stuff to Lincoln."  
>Leni gasps.  
>"She bullied him when no one was around. She'd scare him, squeeze him until he cried, broke his toys..."  
>Lori blinks, trying to hold back the tears.  
>She's cried enough today.  
>"You weren't home when Luna caught her one day. She was either teaching him how to swear, or making him lick a battery. I...I forget. But Luna told mom, and mom..."  
>Lori shakes her head, rubbing her temple.  
>"Mom kicked her out of the house, and made me promise not to tell you why, when she forbid us from playing with her anymore."  
>Lori doesn't look up at Leni.  
>She doesn't need to.  
>She can feel the horrified girl shaking beside her.  
>She sighs.  
>"...May as well. I did some stuff to him, too."  
>Leni lets out a choked sob.  
>"Nothing as bad as her, don't freak out. But Verity encouraged me to be...expressive in my feelings."  
>Lori lays back on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

>"I pushed him around, ignored him when he wanted to play, pretended there were monsters in his room to scare him...I even trained him like a dog, once, to see if I could."  
>She turns her head to see Leni staring through the doorway, across the hall at Luna's room.  
>"Did you know that if you place a can of pop, or a book on just the right spot of his head, he'll freeze and balance it until you take it off?"  
>Lori can't help but crack a wry grin at that.  
>"He used to come into our room all the time," she whispers. "He always wanted to play with us, listen to us talk or read to him."  
>"Then when...Verity came over, he'd try to hide under his bed or in the tub."  
> Lori closes her eyes, already too late to stop the the tears from streaking down her cheeks.  
>"Even after she was gone, Lincoln wouldn't come into our room anymore...Ah huh!"  
>The strangled sob catches Lori off guard.  
>"W-when I saw her at the party, I...I-I remembered everything she - ah huh! - d-did to him."  
>It's too late to open the floodgates.  
>"And everything I did to him, too..."  
>The dam's already bursting.  
>Rolling to her side, Lori curls into a tight ball, trying futilely to hide her shame as she miserably sobs.  
>"His h-hair was...so b-b-beautiful," she wails, struggling to talk through the tsunami of emotion. "Now all th-the colour's gone. Ah huh! Ah huh huh huh!"

>Lori continues to weep, blubbering pitifully as she wallows in self-pity.  
>She doesn't feel the hand on her shoulder.  
>Or hear Leni saying something to her.  
>It's only when she starts shaking her does Lori start paying attention.  
>"Lori, you...you did do horrible things to Lincoln."  
>She flinches at the sheer bluntness of Leni's words.  
>"But...but so what? We all did horrible things to him, and to each other."  
>Lori can see the red in Leni's eyes. She was crying too.  
>"Remember...remember when we all wanted Lily to ourselves, and we kept fighting until she started crying?"  
>Lori slowly nods.  
>"Or...or when you and Luna had that big fight back in sixth grade?"  
>Leni grins, smiling back on the memory.  
>"Everyone at recess gathered to watch you two."  
>Lori nods again, now thinking back on that day.  
>"They all stopped to watch, didn't they?" Lori says, sniffing to clear her nose. "The jocks, the nerds. Everyone. They all stopped to watch us fight."  
>"Who won?"  
>Lori snorts derisively, but now she's grinning too.  
>"Who cares? We both knocked the last of our baby teeth out in that fight. Mom wouldn't let us keep our tooth fairy money as punishment, and dad blended our meals into a smoothie since we couldn't chew with half our teeth missing."  
>She sits up, struggling not to laugh.  
>"We had to eat steak for a week through a straw, it was awful!"  
>Leni giggles at the thought.  
>"Re-remember when, uh," Lori pauses, snapping her fingers in concentration.  
>"When Lynn threw Luan into a ditch on Hallowe'en? Mom spent two hours picking all the pieces of her costume out of the brambles, and another three to stitch them back together!"  
>Leni cackles.  
>"I had to help pick thorns out of her back! Heh, what about when, uh, you and Luna rolled Lincoln in bubble wrap and, heh, launched him onto the roof? He bounced off the garage!"  
>Both sisters are in hysterics, rapidly trading old war stories of growing up.

>"When I trapped Lucy in the washing machine for two..."  
>"Played with a kleenex and accidentally set the rug on fire..."  
>"She pooped in the cat litter and tricked everyone into thinking Cliff had cancer..."  
>"Locked me in that closet for six hours! Without even a colouring book! six hours!"  
>"Dressed him like a girl and took him to the park..."  
>"Almost threw me through the window..."  
>"Spent a week stalking people with dad's shaver..."  
>"So she cut her hair off in the mirror and blamed him..."  
>"Gave us all lice so we'd have to shave our heads..."  
>"Heh."  
>"Heh."  
>Wiping her eyes, Lori catches her breath as she look at Leni do the same.  
>"We're horrible people, aren't we?" she asks, the happiest she's been all month.  
>"Heh heh, yeah, totes," Leni answers warmly.  
>Sighing wistfully, Lori leans over and pulls her sister in to a tight hug.  
>"I wouldn't trade any of that for someone else. I love you, Leni," she whispers, holding her tight.  
>"I love you too, Lori," Leni replies, squeezing just as hard before noticing the clock. "What about Bobby?"  
>With a gasp, Lori shoves away from Leni, running to the mirror to check her makeup.  
>"Bobby, I completely forgot!"  
>Rapidly wiping her face clean, Lori shakily reapplies her makeup as she watches Leni sit up from the mirror.  
>"Leni, I'm sorry, I have to go, I'm out of time."  
>Turning back, she picks up the box, kisses her sister's cheek.  
>"I'll be an hour, I promise! You'll be Ok, Leni! And stay away from Luna!"  
>"I will Lori! Bye!"  
>"Bye!"

>And with the door slamming, Lori leaves to talk to her boyfriend.  
>Leni settled in on her bed, opening a new magazine to pass the time.  
>Despite being alone, she's not upset.  
>Lori will come back, and even if she's upset, Leni will cheer her back up.  
>She goes downstairs for a while to watch a little TV, then to the kitchen to have a snack.  
>She's back in her room when she hears Luna's door open, and someone stepping out.  
>She can't hear what they're saying, but she can tell it's Lincoln walking down the hall.  
>She gets up to open her door and call to him.  
>Then sits down again, remembering Lori's request.  
>She's trapped in her room now.  
>She's already bored, even with the new magazine in her hands.  
>She can hear her parent's shower running downstairs, but she still doesn't leave.  
>Pinky promises are sacred, after all.  
>Resigned to her boredom, Leni lays back, resting her head on her pillow, staring at the ceiling, trying to will the time to pass until Lori's b-  
>*SKUTCH*  
>*CHOOOOM*  
>The roar of the sky outside empties her mind in an instant.  
>*Veeeurrm*  
>The sudden blackout causes her to cry out.  
>Kicking herself into the corner in a panic, she tightly clutches the pillow as she adopts a fetal position.  
>"It'sonlyastormit'sonlyastormit'sonlyastorm..." she whispers frantically, desperately trying to seize control of her fear.  
>*Tp tp tp*  
>"Leni? Lori? It's...it's me. Can I come in, please?"  
>Crap.  
>Taking a deep breath, Leni hunkers down and holds as silently and as still as she can.  
>She waits, hoping her silence would make him go aw-  
>"I'm not leaving, you know."  
>Crap!  
>She hears the door open, and familiar footsteps enter the room.  
>Hearing the door close, she decides she has no choice.  
>Sorry, Lori.  
>Leni swallows, scooting to the centre of her bed, catching his attention.  
>"...Lincoln?" she whispers nervously.

>Lincoln blindly gropes for the bed, sitting down on the corner in silence.  
>A few moments pass, the two siblings rooted where they are.  
>Waiting for the other to speak.  
>Lincoln can feel Leni's body heat despite being a few feet away.  
>He starts to feel himself warm up, too.  
>"So...Lori didn't murder you?" he asks tentatively, taking the initiative and breaking the ice.  
>"No, we...talked it over," Leni answers, keeping her distance. "How're you feeling?"  
>"I'm better. Still a bit sore, but...better."  
>Two sat in silence again, staring out the window, the room faintly illuminated by faint lacework of light arcing across the clouds.  
>"I...I'm sorry," Leni mumbles, ignoring the soft rumbles outside. "For everything. This is all my fault."  
>She wants him to agree.  
>She expects him to yell at her.  
>Blame her.  
>Maybe even hit her.  
>Well, hopefully not that.  
>That's scary.  
>Leni squeaks when she feels his hand press against her cheek.  
>It's warm, soft.  
>She automatically leans into it, rubbing her cheek into his palm.  
>She remembers how much fun they had the other day.  
>When they were watching TV together.  
>Cuddling.  
>Kiss...kissing.

>Leni looks in her brother's direction.  
>She can't see him, but she can feel him looking back.  
>It makes her chest feel warm.  
>She knows that Lincoln has forgiven her.  
>He always does.  
>He's a better brother than she deserves.  
>Than any of them deserve.  
>"Stay put for a second, Ok?" she whispers, feeling her face heat up.  
>Pulling his hand away, she gets off her bed and makes for her dre-  
>"Whuh!"  
>With a cry she trips over a shirt.  
>*Krump*  
>With a thud Leni hits the ground.  
>Smooth.  
>She gets up, hoping Lincoln couldn't see any of that.  
>She keeps moving.  
>Very slowly.  
>But when she's there, she gets to work.  
>Lincoln waits patiently for Leni to return, leaning his arms back and calmly listening to the rain.  
>He can hear her changing her clothes on the other end of the room.  
>He can recognize the sound of her kicking off her sandals.  
>The soft "fwump" of her dress hitting the floor.  
>An unfamiliar soft clicking sound, followed by a spritz of something.  
>Smells nice.  
>Blackberry?

>Lincoln follows Leni's footsteps as she walks back to the bed.  
>Feeling her sit down, he gives her a moment to settle in before continuing the conversation.  
>She's a lot closer now.  
>"So where's Lori?" he asks, not realizing how close his hand is to hers.  
>"She went to see Bobby," Leni answers, trying to control the hammering in her heart. "He wanted to talk."  
>"Hoo, that's gonna end well," he replies coolly, already planning how to handle his sister when she comes home.  
>"You know about that?" Leni asks incredulously.  
>"She told me when she came home."  
>"Oh."  
>Leni takes a quiet breath.  
>Ok Leni.  
>You can do this.  
>Years of fashion magazines and dating columns have prepared you for this moment.  
>Step one: butter him up.  
>"Lincoln," she whispers, stealthily sliding an inch closer. "I'm really glad you're Ok."  
>"Dude, I told you, water under the bridge," the brother answers, noticing her change in tone.  
>Leni falters, thinking of what to say.  
>The magazines didn't cover aloofness.  
>Come on Leni!  
>"I-I'm just saying," Leni stutters, fidgeting nervously. "You've, uh...clearly grown up. Yeah. All big...and strong."  
>She puts a lot of emphasis on 'big' as she tentatively brushes his arm.  
>Way too much empha-  
>Whoa.  
>Leni gently pinches Lincoln's bicep.  
>There's actually some wire there.  
>She can't help but bite her lip.  
>Wait.  
>No, Leni.  
>Focus.  
>Come on.

>"S-so big and strong," Leni finishes, squeezing Lincoln's arm again.  
>Oh yeah.  
>That's a bit of muscle right there.  
>"Th-thanks, Leni..." Lincolns mutters shyly.  
>He's sweating bullets.  
>Her voice is doing weird things to him.  
>Like when they kissed.  
>"You know, Lori and I, uh...we..."  
>Leni stops again, pressing a finger to her chin in thought.  
>What to say...  
>Oh right!  
>Part two: fainting vulnerability.  
>Leni slides her hand down his arm, tracing along the peach fuzz until she reaches his hand.  
>Drawing it back up to her face, she curls it into a loose fist, wrapping his hand tightly in hers.  
>"Lincoln, I'm...I'm doing better now, handling the...the storms," she admits.  
>That's the truth.  
>From how the storm's been going all week, Leni would have died from shock if it weren't for the safety Lincoln's brought her.  
>"I know we can't always do this. I'm...I'm a big girl. But..."  
>Leni swallows, just noticing her throat is dry.  
>"Can...can we stay together tonight? Just so I can sleep?"  
>Leni stares at the dark shape beside her, her eyes imploring the boy-shaped smudge to accept.

>"Please?" she whispers, closing the distance with one last scoot.  
>With a tap, the sibling's legs are touching.  
>Lincoln can faintly make out that she's wearing a heavy shirt.  
>And from the texture rubbing against his skin, it's scratchy.  
>A wool sweater, maybe?  
>But her legs.  
>She's not wearing pants.  
>Granted, that's not an unusual circumstance.  
>But now?  
>Even through the denim of his jeans, he can feel how hot she is.  
>He can smell her perfume.  
>Definitely blackberry.  
>He can smell her skin, too.  
>Along with the faint hint of vinegar and salt from her sweat...  
>He was practically incandescent himself.  
>Lincoln can barely breathe from just how flustered he is.  
>This is just too much for the poor boy.  
>He whimpers when Leni brings her lips to his ear.  
>Her chest squishes into his arm.  
>"We can cuddle like huggy ti-"

>Before the girl can finish her invitation, the room illuminates from the flash of lightning outside.  
>Right outside.  
>Striking the tree, again.  
>That thing is definitely not going to survive the summer at this rate.  
>Time slows down for Lincoln.  
>The sudden flash of light allows him to see Leni clearly, if under a silvery filter.  
>She's sitting right beside him, one of his hands in hers, the other close to his face.  
>Must have wanted to stroke his cheek.  
>Lincoln focuses on her face.  
>Her eyes are wide, the whites the size of dinner plates.  
>He finds it funny that the light apparently reached one eye first.  
>Her right pupil is a tiny pinprick, almost invisible in the sea of blue.  
>The other pupil was fully dilated, causing her appearance to look slightly two-faced.  
>Her lips are...  
>Oh wow.  
>Her plump...pouty lips shiny with gloss; her mouth forming a modest, tiny frown, as if she were only mildly surprised.  
>Her hair is...well, it's a mess, no use lying.  
>Cowlick here, stray hair there.  
>A good chunk slowly straightening out from the spook.  
>But Leni, being Leni, makes it work.  
>She could be struck by lightning, sucked into a twister and buried in a mudslide, and still come out looking radiant.

>Lincoln shifts his gaze lower.  
>Her neck.  
>Slender.  
>Elegant.  
>He can almost remember how her skin tasted when he latched onto her.  
>Lower still his eyes wander.  
>Holy wow.  
>It's the sweater.  
>The scratchy, heavy, perfect sweater.  
>And the perfume.  
>She wore that before, too.  
>She...she planned this.  
>Wait.  
>Lincoln's mental process stutters briefly at the revelation.  
>Leni actually planned this?  
>His eyes continue scaling down.  
>Where does she think she's going with this?  
>Past the ample swell of her chest, to her covered, slim tummy, all the way down to her thighs.

>Oh God, her thighs.  
>Lincoln swallows.  
>He liked it a lot when she held him against her with her legs.  
>Really liked it a lot.  
>B-KOO-  
>Lincoln was wondering when the thunder was going to come.  
>He later wonder when his hearing will come back.  
>He actually felt the shockwave as the sheer audacity of noise breaks into the room.  
>He feels Leni's hand tighten like a vice, easily crushing his hand worse than when they were having lunch.  
>He takes a deep breath before feeling her other hand anchor into his hair, almost tearing out a clump of his scalp as he rams into her body.  
>He turns his head to the side to free his airway, his arms already rubbing his sister's back from behind to placate her.  
>Occasionally he tickles the outskirts of her ribcage,   
>Pure auditorial annihilation rips through the house for almost ten seconds.  
>Ten whole seconds!  
>Can you believe it?

>Lincoln knew what's coming.  
>One of the perks of being in a large family is that when something unexpected happens, you learn to never let it catch you flat-footed again.  
>This time he's ready.  
>The boy takes a quick breath and tightens his grip against his sister's sweater, bracing for the crush.  
>...  
>He twists his head to the side to keep his mouth free of obstruction when he needs to break free for air.  
>...Right now.  
>He squeezes his eyes shut, hands ready to tickle Leni to worm out of her grapple.  
>...any second now.  
>He waits for the imminent loss of hearing when his sister wails in his ear like a banshee-alright, what is taking so long here?  
>Cracking an eye open, Lincoln glances upwards, towards Leni's face.  
>She's staring downward, blankly, her face oddly neutral.  
>But even in the dark, he can tell his sister's petrified in terror.  
>That's not good.  
>He realizes her hands are off him too, seeing them clutched to her temples, her fingers almost ripping out pieces of her scalp.  
>That's really not good.  
>Lincoln then finally notices that Leni's chest hasn't pushed into him.  
>She's holding her breath.  
>'Breathing' is pretty up there in the boy's personal checklist of 'Things Leni Needs to Do Regularly,' along with 'eating' and 'being happy.'  
>'Breathing' and 'happy' are in short supply right now.  
>Lincoln scowls, staring indignantly at the weather outside.  
>Not on his watch.

>Letting go of Leni's back, Lincoln pulls away just far enough to comfortably reach up and cup her cheeks.  
>"Leni! Leni, listen to me!" he whispers loudly, struggling to keep his voice loud enough to overcome the din outside, and quiet enough to not disturb Luna.  
>"You're safe! The storm won't hurt you! It's just noise and water!"  
>Although it seems to fall on deaf ears, Len's pupils flick up to his face.  
>She's focusing on him at least.  
>Good.  
>"Leni, focus on my voice, on my hands," Lincoln asks, gently tapping her forehead with his. "It's okay. I'm here. I'm here. I'm not gonna leave you. I..."  
>Leni's still holding her breath.  
>Now Lincoln's starting to panic.  
>He knows if anything happens to her, it'll be on his head.  
>And Lori will make sure he lives long enough to regret it.  
>And as terrified as he is of Lori carrying out her...inventive threats, he's more afraid of losing his Leni.  
>Wait.  
>'His' Leni?  
>Maybe...?  
>Lincoln narrows his eyes, staring intently at his choking sister.  
>He sighs.  
>Alright.  
>The truth.

>Lincoln tries to swallow, finding his mouth suddenly dry.  
>"Leni, I'm not going to leave you. I...I don't want to leave you. I love hanging out with you."  
>Lincoln pauses, watching his panicked sister closely.  
>She's still frozen, but her eyes are still on him.  
>That's good.  
>He moves his hands from her cheeks, intertwining his fingers with hers from behind.  
>"I-I love being with you!" he urges, tugging at her hands weakly. "I don't want you to be afraid of the storms anymore!"  
>Leni blinks!  
>She's listening!  
>"I...I want you to like the rain! I want you to hear thunder and think about me... about us. Because then we could be together, and...and uh..."  
>Lincoln realizes he's slowly drawn his face closer to Leni's.   
>Their noses are almost touching.  
>He tries tugging her hands away again.  
>She lets go of her hair, letting it thread through their combined fingers as he brings her hands to his face.

>Lincoln squeezes his sister's hands again, letting them rest against his warm face.  
>Letting go, he cups her cheeks once more, their faces almost touching.  
>He stares into her dark blue eyes, and her, his.  
>"Leni..." he whispers, uncertainty in his voice. "I...I love you. You know that."  
>Leni's expression of fear swiftly changes to one of confusion.  
>Overcome by his youthful shyness, he looks to her left, casting his eyes to the wall beside her.  
>"But I think I...I think I love you more than I sh-should. I...I've been looking forward to the rain. So we could...so I could hold you."  
>Lincoln can see Leni's face change to one of curiosity.  
>Her lips part, an he can see her chest swell.  
>She's breathing again.  
>Yes.  
>Good.  
>But Lincoln's too far gone in his nerves to stop.  
>"I don't...I know I shouldn't feel like this," he rambles, moving his hands from Leni's face to her hands on his, trying to keep her touch close.  
>"But I don't care, Leni. I love talking to you. I...I love holding you, and k-kissing you, and I'm nohmpph?"  
>Lincoln didn't notice Leni smiling sweetly at him in his monologue.  
>Or her leaning in.  
>He definitely notices when she presses her lips against his, holding his face still as she soothes him.

>As soon as she feels her little brother relax, Leni pulls back, looking down lovingly at her dazed sibling.  
>Before he can regain his senses, she pulls him into a tight hug, squeezing as much of her love into his small frame as she can.  
>"I know how you feel," she whispers tenderly, her lips brushing against his ear.   
>It was barely a whisper, just enough to overcome the wind outside.  
>But the warm air from her words blowing into it makes him shudder, burying his face into her neck.  
>As she strokes his hair, she can feel his cheeks burning up.  
>"I...might not be as smart as Lori, or Luna," she continues, rocking herself back and forth to keep the mood up, "but I know this should feel weird to me."  
>Swinging her legs to bring her feet onto her bed, Leni slowly lies down, pulling Lincoln with her, until he's fully resting on her.  
>"But I feel the same way," she finishes, pulling his face from its hiding spot to kiss him again.  
>This time Lincoln kisses back.

>As the kissing progresses, their hands start to wander.  
>Pretty quickly, they figure out where they like to touch, and be touched.  
>Leni learns that Lincoln likes her hands on his back, shoulders and head.  
>Lincoln figures that Leni likes it...well, everywhere he's touched so far.  
>A pleasant murmur comes out of her throat when he strokes her hair or rubs her cheek.  
>A happy sigh when he clutches her shoulder, or brushes her arm.  
>A content purr as he runs his hand down her side, grasping her hips as her legs start to wrap around his waist.  
>He missed this feeling.  
>Of the safety in her embrace, of the comfort of lying on her soft body, the warmth as her ankles lock him against her.  
>He was right, too.  
>She isn't wearing pants.  
>Lincoln groans when Leni's mouth shifts, suckling playfully on his upper lip.  
>Then he gets a jolt in his spine when he feels her tongue slide past her lips, tapping politely against his teeth.  
>Pushing himself harder into her body, he opens his mouth, letting his sister's tongue slip inside, pushing his into her mouth as well.  
>Their tongues pushing and wrestle against each other for a moment, before breaking off and mutually exploring the interior decoration.  
>Probing molars, tickling the roofs, pushing as far inside as they can go, running against the gumline.  
>The taste is exquisite.

>Lincoln calls Uncle first.  
>He pulls his face back from the kiss, sucking in cold air as she tries to nibble on his jawline.  
>As he pants, the young boy paws around in the dark, fumbling for something to hold himself up.  
>His hand lands on something familiar, and Leni's weak moan clues him in quickly.  
>"Oh! Sorry," he whispers, pulling his hand away from her chest.  
>"Lincoln?" She asks, her voice shaky  
>"Y-yeah?" he asks back, feeling her fingers curl around his wrist.  
>"You shouldn't...this is your first time, right?"  
>Her voice is distant, like her head is turned away.  
>"Y-yeah?" he answers, mapping where Leni's taking his hand.  
>"Mine...mine too. Your first time shouldn't be spent with someone who, ah...who doesn't know you. A stranger."  
>Leni lets go of Lincoln's hand.  
>He feels his curled fingers rest against her waist.   
>He feels his thumb brush against the hem of her sweater.  
>His pinky rests against the swell of her hip.  
>He doesn't feel any fabric.  
>"Your first time should be spent with someone who...who loves you, and cares about you."  
>Her voice drops to a hushed whisper, and Lincoln can feel her lift her head to whisper into his ear.  
>Her cheek against his.  
>So hot.  
>Though he can barely hear her words, they may as well be a foghorn for what she says next.  
>"L-like me. Just be gentle, though...please?"

>"I mean, if you...you want to, to, uh..."  
>Lincoln feels his heart swell to near-bursting.  
>She just...offered herself to him.  
>Leni.  
>His big sister.  
>She trusts him enough to let him...  
>"Well, Lincoln?" Are you...What do you want to do?"  
>Her breath is shaky and shallow.  
>He can feel her pulse from how he's lying on her.  
>Her heart is pounding harder than his is.  
>His breathing hitches, and his hands start trembling.  
>Ok, Lincoln, focus.  
>A beautiful lady, madly in love with you, has just given you an offer you can't, and won't, refuse.  
>What are you, to quote, 'going to do?"  
>Lincoln rests his chin against the top of her breasts, looking up at her from his position.  
>He can see her face easily from this distance.  
>Even without enough light to give him colour vision, he can see just how hard she's blushing.  
>Her eyes are closed, and her supple lips are parted.  
>He'll give her an answer she'll like.

>Adjusting his grip on her waist, Lincoln strokes the soft skin of Leni's tummy, his fingers brushing against the hem of her sweater.  
>He uses the brief tickling to slip free of the lock her legs had him in.  
>She quickly gets over the mild tickling; her nervous giggles turning into cautious sighs as her brother continues to touch her.  
>Drawing his legs under him, he lifts his chest off of her body, reaching with his free hand to take hold of hers.  
>Locking fingers together, Lincoln leans back down, quickly peppering a string of kisses along her exposed collarbone.  
>"Linc...Ah, Lincoln..." Leni whispers, craning her head away from his, silently urging him to trail up and not across.  
>Keeping his back arched, he ignores the request for now, focusing on her tummy again.  
>Time for step two.  
>Slipping his thumb past the barrier, Lincoln slowly edges his hand up Leni's shirt.  
>The thin sheen of sweat coating her skin allows his hand to slip and glide across her belly.  
>He stops short of her rib cage, his thumb skirting against the skin stretched over bone.  
>Leni's mouth is agape, gasping heavily as the foreplay continues.  
>He reaches up to plant a series of feathery kisses up her neck, tracing along the racing vein to chew on the curve of her jaw.  
>Leni squirms at the intimacy, throwing her free arm over her eyes as she squeezes his hand.  
>Her gasping changes to quick, shallow panting.  
>She seems to have developed some shyness.

>"L-Lincoln, please..." Leni whimpers, twitching and shivering from each kiss her brother gives her.  
>Lincoln can feel Leni's thighs tense up as he teases her, the toned muscles running taut as his fingers danced along her body.  
>And what a body!  
>Everywhere he's touched over the week has been nothing short of divine.  
>Speaking of...  
>Leni gasps when Lincoln pushes past her ribs, his fingers drumming softly along the faint outline of bone.  
>She squeaks when his thumb finally nudges against her breast, tracing lightly along the swelling mound.  
>Leni arches her back, whining softly as she silently begs him to get to it.  
>Another flash of lightning illuminates the room.  
>It doesn't matter how brief it was.  
>What Lincoln sees is seared into his mind for the rest of his days.  
>Leni's face, tears in her eyes, her lips trembling, her cheeks rosy and flush; looking desperate.  
>Her sweater hiked up, exposing her flat, tight belly, the faint swell of her ribs, and her breast partially obscured by the hem of her clothing.  
>He can make out a small splash of bright pink.  
>Her slick thighs shiver in excitement, struggling to hold back from wrapping her legs around him and squeezing the life out of the boy.  
>And between her thighs...  
>O-oh...  
>O glory of glories...  
>O heavenly testament to the eternal majesty of God's creation...  
>"Holy macaroni..." the white-haired boy whispers to himself.  
>"W-what?" Leni asks, confused in her haze.  
>"What," Lincoln quickly asks back.  
>"WHAT," says Lori, standing in the doorway.

Chapter Six, Lincoln's Lost Light.  
~Fin~


	7. Lightbringer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took a few tries, and my friends even mentioned that it felt like I was just trying to get it done with.  
> But once the wheels started turning, it was fun.  
> It felt good to finish this.

>Leni and Lincoln freeze, both heads whirling over to stare at their older sister's intrusion.  
>Lori stares back, her face shifting between one of horror, to blind fury, to what could be called a mix between disgust and...jealousy?  
>Taking a slow, shaking breath, Lori's face stops contorting.  
>Lincoln can see Lori better from his position.  
>When she opens her eyes, she looks exhausted.   
>He can see the black of her eyeliner streaking down her face.  
>"Alright. so how long has this been going on," she says, her mouth barely moving.   
>She doesn't ask the question, she says it.   
>Her voice is almost perfectly flat, but the droning cracks with tired emotion.  
>She's pulling out all the stops here.  
>Neither answer, not moving an inch.  
>Not saying a word.  
>Lincoln's hand is still clutching her boob, and Leni's legs are still holding him against her.  
>You can almost hear Lori's eyes grinding in her sockets as she sets her sights on Leni.  
>Leni stares back, too frozen in fear to respond.  
>"Leni...Please, I asked you a question. How long have you been doing...this t-to your brother."  
>"Lori..." Lincoln starts, trying to defuse the situation.  
>She won't have any of it.  
>"Lincoln, I'm sorry I couldn't stop this from happening. That I didn't do a better job being a big sister. And I am so, so sorry I couldn't stop our family from breaking apart. But you will wait your turn, Lincoln Lionel Loud, or I will rip out your spine and make you eat it. Do you understand me."  
>She continues to stare down Leni as she threatens her brother.  
>Lincoln wisely pipes down.  
>But he also notices that Lori hasn't moved an inch since she announced her presence.  
>She doesn't know he can see her knees trembling.

>The two sisters continue their staring contest.  
>One refusing to yield out of a sense of responsibility and guilt.  
>The other out of fear and shame.  
>Leni still doesn't answer her sister's demands.  
>She's a deer in the headlights  
>"Leni, please...speak to me," Lori asks, her face steadily growing more frantic. "I'm not...I'm n-not mad. I promise. Just...please, say something."  
>Leni manages to tear her eyes away from Lori, ignoring her panicked instincts to look at her brother.  
>He looks just as scared as she feels.  
>She then feels his thumb rub against hers.  
>He's still holding her hand.  
>She squeezes his fingers, drawing strength from the intimacy.  
>She takes a small breath, then looks back at Lori.  
>Her sister nods expectantly.  
>"We..." Leni stops short, her nerves getting the better of her.  
>Even as she shrinks from Lori's gaze, she forces herself to continue, letting the words flow from her mouth.  
>"We...this is the farthest we've gone," she admits, still squeezing Lincoln's hand while laying the other on his shoulder. "We've only kissed, and...and t-touched once before, when you came home the other d-day."  
>Eventually, she quiets down, trembling underneath Lincoln.  
>Waiting for her response.  
>Lori turns her gaze to Lincoln, glaring down at the young boy locked in his sister's embrace.  
>Lincoln may not be able to read people as easily as she can, but he can tell she's wearing out.  
>She's whiteknuckling that doorknob hard enough to leave an imprint, just so her legs don't give out.  
>"...Is this true, Lincoln."  
>Lincoln knows better than to keep Lori waiting for a response.  
>He simply nods, squeezing Leni's hand back for courage.  
>Resisting every instinct and desire he has to squeeze his other hand.  
>"Say it out loud, brat."  
>Lincoln leans down protectively over Leni before he can stop himself.  
>He knows Lori will hesitate if she has to go through him.  
>"Sh-sh-She's right," he says, knowing better than to mumble at this moment. "This is the most we've done."

>Lori closes her eyes, as if mulling their answers over.  
>But her brother's learned from the best.  
>She's starting to lose it, and now she's actively fighting to maintain her composure.  
>To the average man, she just looks exhausted.  
>But to him, she may as well be sobbing.  
>"I knew it," she whispers, opening her eyes again. "I knew you two were doing something the moment I came through that door."  
>She finally lets go of the doorknob, pushing the door shut as she stomps into her room.  
>"But this...this, of anything else you could have done..." she continues her rant, pacing back and forth in the space between their beds.  
>"You're mad at us..." Leni says, defeat in her voice.  
>Lori stops to stare incredulously at her.  
>"I'm not mad. No, Leni. I...I love you. Both of you, with all my heart. But I'm not mad. No. I'm past that. It's - what I feel is worse than anger. In fact, I don't know..."  
>"What?"  
>"I really don't know if I can ever forgive you for this..."  
>By now the mood's been thoroughly killed, and Lincoln starts trying to pry himself free from his sister's hold.  
>If he's going to die, he'd rather not be grinding on her when it happens.  
>He tugs down Leni's sweater when he feels a hand on the back of his neck.  
>"And where do you think you're going?"

>Lincoln freezes, his hands pushing against Leni's thighs to free himself.  
>He slowly turns his head to look up at Lori.  
>Oh God, she's a mess.  
>She looks down at her brother, her little brother, staring into his innocent blue eyes.  
>Like she's trying to memorize them.  
>"I'm not...I won't tell mom or anyone about this," she says, letting go of his neck to start gently stroking it. "But I know you won't stop, even if i beg you to."  
>Lori shudders softly, barely managing to hold back a sob.  
>"So I'll do the n-next best thing. Leni, let him go, please. I want to talk to him."  
>Leni hesitates, but acquiesces, unhooking her ankles and letting Lincoln pull away.  
>Lori ignores the fact that the crotch of her brother's pants are wet.  
>She spins Lincoln around to face her, crouching down so she's eye-level.  
>"Lincoln, you know I love you, right?" she asks, holding his shoulders to maintain eye-contact.  
>He nods.  
>"I know you and Leni love each other, too, but I need to...Lincoln, you've taken sex ed, right?"  
>He nods again, his face turning a light rosey pink.  
>"So you know what would have happened if you didn't have any protection, right?"  
>She leans closer, her face mere inches from his.  
>"You do have protection, don't you...?"  
>He nods again, before stopping, pursing his eyebrows in thought.  
>He glances back at Leni, now sitting up, looking back them.  
>She has her knees drawn up to her chest, giving the boy a nice view of what he almost had.  
>"I think Leni said she's on the pill..." he mumbles.  
>Lori stares at him, then Leni, then back to him.  
>"You 'think' she's on the pill?" She repeats.  
>Lincoln nods again, now looking down.  
>She looks at Leni again.  
>"Are you on the pill, Leni? Have you been remembering to take them on time?"  
>Leni rests her chin on her knees, keeping her eyes down, trying to avoid Lori's burning stare.  
>"I've been taking them," she answers glumly.  
>"This is your first lesson, Lincoln," Lori scolds, tilting his head up to force him to look at her.  
>"You always - always! - make sure you have protection."  
>Lori glances down at Lincoln's waist.  
>She taps his hands, opening his palms to find nothing.  
>She then looks at the bed, scanning the sheets for something.  
>She focuses back on her brother, a firm, stern glare on her face.  
>"Where's your condom?"  
>"Cond-?" Lincoln's face turns bright red.  
>Lori raises her eyebrows.  
>"You...have a condom, right?"  
>When he doesn't answer, Lori changes targets.  
>"Leni, where is it?"  
>She doesn't answer, still pouting from getting interrupted.  
>"Leni, please tell me you weren't going to do this without protection."  
>Leni scowls at her sister.  
>"I lost it, Ok? And I couldn't remember where your stash was, alright?!"  
>Never has Lori wanted to wrap her hands around her little sister's neck as much as right now.  
>"Now you listen to me," she says, standing up, her voice a full octave lower.  
>"I might find this wrong and-and-and I might hate myself for the rest of my life for this, but I will not - Leni! Look at me! I. Will. Not! Be an aunt before I'm nineteen."  
>Walking to her dresser, Lori pulls the top drawer open.  
>"Probably eat the little thing by accident anyways," she mutters.  
>Ducking down, she reaches up from underneath.  
>With a soft peeling sound, Lori plucks something from the underside.  
>"Think fast."  
>She whirls around, flicking the item at Lincoln.  
>*Fwhipp*  
>He reacts too slowly, flinching as the sharp corner hits him in the face.  
>"Ow! Lori, that almost hit m-"  
>He pauses when he sees what Lori threw at him.  
>His face is scarlet when he realizes what it is.  
>A little square wrapper, sitting comfortably in his palm.  
>"You're about the same size as Bobby. It should work."  
>Walking to her bed, she drops down on the mattress, leaning back with a sigh.  
>"If either of you need my help, just...well, I'm here, Ok?"

>Lincoln and Leni stare at each other for a moment, dumbfounded.  
>Then back to their sister, resting on her bed.  
>"...Lori?" Leni asks nervously. "Are...are you really Ok with this?"  
>"God no. I don't want any of this. But I want you two to be safe and smart about this more. So just...get it over with, Ok? And if you need help, just call me over and I'll...I'll walk you through it."  
>Lincoln looks at Leni.  
>She looks back.  
>They sit in silence for a moment, unsure how to process this admittedly backhanded blessing.  
>He turns around to face her again.  
>She lays her legs flat on the bed, shimmying closer to her previous position.  
>Her breath gets shaky when Lincoln leans closer.  
>His knees brush against her thighs.  
>Her eyes are half closed as his hand reaches for hers.  
>But Lincoln stops short to pressing his lips against hers.  
>He takes a brief second to look behind him.  
>Lori's still at her bed, her body still.  
>He can barely make her out in the darkness.  
>No matter.  
>He looks back at Leni, taking in her features.  
>She's so beautiful.  
>He closes the distance, pushing his lips against hers.  
>The fire may have been snuffed out.  
>But a single spark is all it needs to be up and roaring again.  
>After a few nervous pecks, they're back in motion, locked together at the hip and the mouth.  
>Leni's sweater is hiked up again, goosebumps raised on her skin.  
>His shirt's been ripped off, lobbed blindly in a random direction.  
>She's panting when he pulls back, a string of drool connected to her jawline.  
>Fumbling around, he fishes out the little wrapper.  
>Breaking it open, he inspects the rubber circle.

>Lincoln flips the little ring around, inspecting it.  
>Then he flips it over again.  
>And again.  
>"Uh...Lori? What-what do I do with this?" he asks.  
>"Not even five minutes, really?" Lori snips, lifting herself off her bed with a grunt.  
>Walking over, she plucks the condom from her brother, deftly looking away from Leni's exposed body.  
>"Ok, first off, pants. Gone."  
>Lincoln nods, tapping Leni's leg to get her to leg go.  
>Freeing himself, he unhooks his belt, pulling his jeans down to his knees, then kicking them off onto the floor.  
>He can't resist groaning happily at the sudden release of pressure in his groin.  
>"Leni, pay attention, you'll want to hear this, too. Now, feel the centre. If you feel a hole, or a warp, get rid of it. It will break when you're moving, and you're going to ruin everyone's day. Next, you figure out which way it rolls. Ok, now you...Ugh, twerp, ditch the underwear. Come on."  
>Lincoln's face turns red when told to disrobe.  
>Leni's face is red too, and she and Lori stare downwards, eyes locked on the twitching bulge in his tighty whiteys.  
>Seeing no choice, he hooks his thumbs into his waistband and pulls down.  
>When his member springs free, Leni gasps at the sight of it.  
>She actually flinches when it twitches.  
>Lori's eyebrows raise appreciatively, confirming that the kid's packing.  
>"Leni, give me your hand."  
>"N-no."  
>"Leni, it's not going to hurt y-gimme your hand, Le-Gimme your hand!"  
>Lori finally manages to catch onto Leni's hand, wrestling it closer her.  
>"Will you LITERALLY stop being a baby?! God, Leni, it's not going to bite or growl at you or anything! You were practically singing when you were grinding on each other!"  
>Prying her sister's hand open, Lori drops the condom in her hand.  
>"Do you feel a hole in the centre? A warp, or deformity?"  
>"N-no?"  
>"Good. Now, feel for the roll, you want to go down. Alright, now pinch the tip of it with your fingers, don't break it, and press it against the head."

>Leni follows her instructions, pinching the tip and placing it on Lincoln's crown.  
>She freezes when he groans, shivering at his first foreign touch.  
>"Make sure there's no air in the pocket or it will break," Lori coaches. "Then gently roll the rim down his...his length."  
>Lori's surprised she's still a little bashful about her brother's junk.  
>No matter.  
>She watches patiently as Leni does as she's told, while Lincoln shivers and whimpers at the sensations.  
>"Good. Now let go, and put your hand back at the top. Wrap your fingers around like a...a, uh, I dunno, a microphone, and move your hand down his length. You want to smooth out the wrinkles to make the seal.  
>Leni first inspects Lincoln's penis, marveling at the heat and pulsing radiating from it  
>When she finishes smoothing out the condom, she gives the base an experimental squeeze.  
>She freezes when Lincoln moans loudly, panting softly as he leans back.  
>"You're not hurting him," Lori assures, stroking her sister's cheek when she looks up. "He's doing that because he really likes what you're doing."  
>She lets go to pet Lincoln's soft, white hair.  
>"Lincoln," she says softly. "This next bit is going to be...well, it's going to be intense. The condom's going to dull some of the sensation, but that's a good thing, really. It just means you'll last longer. Are you ready?"  
>She waits for Lincoln to calm down, humming smiling warmly at him as she pets his scalp.  
>When he nods, he turns to Leni and repeats the question.  
>"Leni, I'll be honest with you. This might hurt the first time, but don't get scared. It'll only hurt for a couple seconds, then it'll feel very good. You ready?"  
>Leni nods, still staring at Lincoln's bobbing wiener.  
>Lori can see the hunger in her eyes.

>"Perfect. Lincoln, hop off for a second. Leni, turn around so you're properly on the bed. Put a couple pillows under you so you don't have to hold your hips up. Now spread your legs. Wider. Little more. You're golden. You keeping the sweater on? Alright. Lincoln? Back on the bed, mister."  
>Lincoln drools as he takes in the sight before him.  
>Both siblings stare at each other's parts, watching them leak and twitch respectively.  
>Lori flicks his ear, motioning he move closer.  
>"One last thing, Lincoln," Lori says. "It takes two to tango. Take it slow, and let her set the pace at first."  
>She gives him a pat on the back, pushing him down on top of her.  
>Leni and Lincoln stare at each other, their breaths hot on each other's hotter faces.  
>She can feel his dick pressing against her.  
>She can also feel him slipping away with each thrust.  
>Groaning in frustration, they both look at their guide, back on her bed.  
>"Really? Come on, I'm not...Leni, grab him and guide it in. Jeez."  
>Leni rubs her brother's cheek, planting a soft kiss on his lips, then does as instructed, snaking her hand down between them.  
>She smiles nervously when she wraps her fingers around him, making him shudder from the touch.  
>It feels bigger when she can't see it.  
>She reaches down with her other hand to spread herself open.  
>They both moan quietly when she guides him to her entrance.  
>She tries to stay relaxed when Lincoln starts pushing slowly, forcing her breathing to stay even as she feels him enter her.  
>She hopes it'll fit.

>Leni can feel the beads of sweat dripping from Lincoln's brow as he slowly penetrates her.  
>She squeezes her eyes shut, struggling to keep calm.  
>She feels every single inch, every last pulse, every twitch of muscle pushing against her walls.  
>She doesn't know how to handle the sensation, to be honest.  
>Her fear turns to confusion when Lincoln's bladder presses down, and rests against her mound.  
>She waits, expecting the searing pain at any moment.  
>Like right now.  
>Or now.  
>...Now?  
>Leni doesn't understand.  
>Lori said it would hurt.  
>And then it would feel good shortly after.  
>But so far, she just feels weirdly full.  
>She looks over at Lori, wondering if she should bite the bullet.  
>"Um, Lori?" she asks tentatively. "It...it's not hurting. Are we doing something wrong?"  
>Lori turns to look at her.  
>Or at least she thinks so; it's hard to tell without any light.  
>"It's not?" Lori answers. "Huh. Must have torn yourself riding a bike or something. Lucky you."  
>Leni doesn't catch the sarcasm, and she thanks her stars regardless.  
>Lincoln, meanwhile, is in his own little world.  
>It's taking every fibre of his constitution to not start jackrabbiting his sister.  
>The moment he's bottomed out in her, he wraps his arms tight around her chest, burying his face in her neck.  
>Lori wasn't kidding, the poor kid is being overwhelmed by the sensations he's feeling.  
>Feeling her walls shift and adjust to his length, coaxing him to go is simply driving him crazy.  
>He almost cries out when her fingers brush against his hair.  
>"It's Ok, Lincoln," she whispers, her hot breath making him shiver. "You can start moving now. Just...just be gentle, Ok?"

>Leni waits patiently for her overexcited brother to start drawing back, stroking his back and humming softly to help steady his nerves.  
>Eventually, Lincoln gets it together, and starts pulling his hips back, making her coo pleasantly as he drags himself out.  
>He slowly pushes back in, and when he bottoms out he has to stop again.  
>She wraps her legs around him again, mostly out of habit, but also to help encourage him.  
>She peppers his scalp with soft, feathery kisses, resting her hands on the back of his head and his shoulder blades.  
>When he thrusts in a third time, she reacts much more positively.  
>"Ooohhh~!" Leni loudly moans, pulling her head back holding her lover tight to her body, tapping his bum with her ankles to keep going.  
>And keep going he does, his thrusting rapidly picking up speed, an arms race between his thrusting and her wailing.  
>Lori has to admit, he's doing a much better job than she would have expected.  
>But these are two inexperienced lovers, and no matter how much beginner's luck they have, they're going to run out of steam.  
>With a surprisingly deep-throated groan, Lincoln slams his hips roughly down into Leni's pussy, holding still for a second before thrusting again.  
>Leni stiffens with a cry, her legs desperately struggling to hold his bucking hips still while her nails dig painfully deep into his back, letting lose a string of incoherent sweet nothings.  
>A few seconds later, they both go slack, slumping weakly on the bed  
>Panting heavily as they bask in the afterglow.

>Lincoln's chest burns from the experience he went through.  
>As he struggles to catch his breath, he can feel a healthy mixture of disappointment, too.  
>There's no way he lasted longer than a minute, if even that.  
>Considering how Leni's puffing and wheezing beneath him too, he must have done something right at least.  
>Maybe next time Lynn suggests taking cardio with her, he'll take her up on the offer.  
>As if reading his mind, Lori speaks up from the darkness.  
>"Don't f-feel bad about your stamina, Linc. You, huh, you never last long with your first time. Just take a second to catch your breath, then slowly p...pull out."  
>Lincoln slowly comes out of his high, the tingly aftershocks of pleasure fading as he plants soft kisses randomly along Leni's skin.  
>He can feel Leni's heartbeat slow down as well, relaxing into the soft touches of her fingers and softer kisses her lips give him.  
>When he feels ready, he squeezes his sister's thighs one more time before drawing his hips back.  
>Leni moans softly in disappointment, being used to the feeling of being full.  
>She gasps with an "eep" when the balloon containing Lincoln's load slips out from her folds.  
>He can hear Lori's bedsprings squeak as she gets up, and he flinches when her fingers brush against his shoulder.  
>"If it makes you feel better, twerp, you literally lasted twice as long than I thought you would. You too, Leni, you did great. Now, Leni, your hand, please. Thank you. Use the tissue to keep the condom from spilling all over the bed."  
>Lincoln shivers when he feels Leni's fingers graze against his penis, delicately tracing down his length to the rim of the condom.  
>As she pulls the thin membrane off of him, her fingernails lightly graze along his shaft, making the overstimulated boy's breath hitch.  
>Which quickly turns into a gasp when her hand wraps around the base, testing her grip with a light squeeze.  
>"Lori?" she asks, "It's still...it's still up."  
>"What?"  
>Lincoln trembles from another hand brushing against him, the fingers more coarse, the grip firmer.  
>"Does that mean we have to go again?"

>Although Lori tries to protest, Leni manages to beg for another condom.  
>After showing her how to apply it again, Leni wastes no time getting into position, dragging her younger lover into her grasp.  
>Lincoln lasted a little under a minute making love for the first time.  
>But now that he's caught his breath and knows what to expect, he lasts well into three.  
>Pausing now and again to maximize his lasting power, he steadily thrusts into his sister.  
>His focused stoicism contrasting harshly with her passionate moans and babblings.  
>Leni has to keep a pillow over her face to cover the noise.  
>Lori doesn't say a word the entire time.  
>When Lincoln erupts, she's an exhausted, jittery wreck, blathering empty platitudes while her hands rake red lines across his back.  
>When he finally pulls out of her, Leni almost falls out of the bed grovelling for another condom.  
>Still silent, Lori replaces the rubber on her brother.  
>He can feel her hands shaking.

>Something doesn't feel right.  
>"Lori?" Lincoln asks gently.  
>He reaches blindly into the dark.  
>"Is everything alright?"  
>She ducks out of the way of his fingers.  
>He tries again, pawing dumbly to comfort his sister.  
>This time she swats his hand away from her.  
>Hard.  
>"Ow! Lori, what the heck?!" Lincoln snaps, pulling his hand back to a safe distance.   
>"Just get it over with," she mutters, already slinking back into the inky darkness.  
>With an irritated scoff, Lincoln focuses back on his other big sister.  
>Leni still lays under him, still out of breath.  
>But at least she's not puffing and wheezing anymore.  
>She gives him a shaky but inviting smile.  
>He smirks back at her.  
>He reaches over, brushing a stray hair off her face.  
>He could get used to this.  
>Lincoln shimmies into position.  
>He presses against her entrance.  
>He pauses.  
>Both for effect and to give Leni a chance to ready herself.  
>Lincoln takes a breath himself, then starts to push.  
>Leni's face, a painting of undiluted love and excitement, instantly contorts into an expression of discomfort and distress.  
>Her legs tighten to stop her brother's movements, and her arm's weak strikes on his chest make clear what she wants.  
>And Lincoln, ever the gentleman, obliges.  
>He carefully pulls back, stopping every time she cries out.  
>He strokes her cheek and whispers a string of platitudes to calm her down.  
>It works.  
>Eventually.  
>When her shaking stops, Leni smiles again, nodding nervously.  
>Lincoln turns to ask Lori if Leni's Ok.  
>Lori's face glares down at him, mere inches from his own.  
>He jerks back with a startled squeak.

>"L-Lori," Leni warns, struggling to sit up.  
>"I'm Ok, I-I'm just a little - Ow, ow, owie! - I'm just a...a little sore."  
>Lori continues to stare down her little brother.  
>"Lori?"  
>He stares back.  
>Neither of them move an inch.  
>"Lori!"  
>With a surprised snort, Lori snaps over to her sister.  
>"Huh, whu...Leni, you-you're sure you're Ok?"  
>"Yes, I'm Ok! But what's wrong with you?"  
>Lori cocks her head.  
>"I don't...what do you mean, Leni?"  
>"You've been staring at Lincoln for the last, like, three -Ooh!- three minutes!"  
>Lori nervously glances over at Lincoln.  
>He hasn't moved.  
>Kid knows to keep still when she's like this.  
>She squeaks with surprise when Leni's hand finds hers.  
>She tries to yank her hand back.  
>But it's too late.  
>Her fingers are trapped in the Leni Finger-Lock.  
>Patent pending.  
>"Lori, sit down. You're, like, starting to scare me here."  
>She doesn't respond.  
>Leni gives her wrist a light tug.  
>This time she doesn't resist.  
>The instant Lori's butt touches the mattress, Leni moves in for the kill.  
>An arm around her shoulder.  
>Fingers gently combing her golden hair.  
>As much physical contact as possible.  
>Leni's even forgotten her nudity for the moment, rubbing her side against the rougher fabric of Lori's clothing.

>"Lori, talk to me."  
>"There's...there's nothing to talk about."  
>"Lori, please. I'm worried about you."  
>Leni pauses.  
>She looks over at Lincoln.  
>He's still on the bed, but he's relaxed now that she has Lori's attention.  
>"Lincoln? Could you, uh, give us a bit of privacy?"  
>Lincoln looks at Lori, then over at Leni.  
>The first thing that comes to mind is lunch.  
>He swallows.  
>He nods.  
>"I'll be right outside if...if you need me."  
>"Thanks. This totes won't take long."  
>Lincoln slides off the covers.  
>Pauses for a brief second to let his legs wake up.  
>Then he's out.  
>He's even nice enough to close the door for them.  
>But he catches Leni saying something before the door shuts.  
>Something that makes Lincoln feel a small pit grow in his stomach.  
>"What happened with Bobby?"  
>Lincoln leans against the wall.  
>Then sits down.  
>Then twiddles his thumbs.  
>He could go to his room to get his phone, or a comic.  
>But he knows if he leaves, Leni will come looking for him.  
>So he sits down and tries to empty his mind.  
>Willing the minutes away until Leni calls him back.  
>Any minute now.

>*clck*  
>Wow, that was fast.  
>Not even two minutes.  
>Lincoln springs back up to his feet, looking at his sisters' door.  
>Leni's head leans out.  
>Looking down the hall towards his room.  
>Then to the bathroom.  
>Her eyes lock onto him.  
>"Lincoln!" she whispers.  
>Slipping out, she quickly drops to her knees to grab his face.  
>This is the USS Makeout, requesting permission to dock.  
>She closes her eyes and leans in.  
>Permission granted, USS Makeout. Align connection ports and dock at your leisure.  
>She moans softly, her tongue wasting no time pushing past his lips.  
>It's different this time.  
>He can still feel the romance behind it, but now it feels more...hungry.  
>Desperate.  
>Her tongue aggressively explores the inside of his mouth.  
>Bullying his tongue along the way.  
>Making a lot of weird noises.  
>Definitely sloppy noises.  
>And her hands travel all over his body.  
>Stroking muscle here, pinching some baby fat there.  
>Lot of focus on his chest and hair.  
>When she breaks the kiss they're both out of breath.  
>Leni's eyes are half closed, her chest heaving.  
>Speaking of chest, she's decided to take off the sweater.  
>"Lincoln~" she purrs again, playing with his hair.  
>He shivers from her words.  
>She leans in again, planting a few soft kisses along his jaw  
>His knees start to shake.  
>His breathing is still shaky, but now it's getting hard to focus on that.  
>"I need a favour~" she whispers into his ear.  
>Lincoln has to hold onto Leni's shoulders for support.  
>His heart hammers in his chest.  
>He can hear his pulse in his ears.  
>Good grief, what is this naked woman doing to him?  
>"W...what? What do y-you need?" he croaks.  
>Leni's hand changes targets, gliding down from his scalp to his chest, spinning an invisible circle in the middle of his rib cage.  
>"There's no time to explain," she whispers again, "Can you do me a favour, yes? Or no?"

>Lincoln's brain struggles to handle the workload before it.  
>It's a simple request.  
>And he knows she's buttering him up so he'd say yes regardless.  
>But good lord, she's making him in swim the stuff.  
>And he's scared she'll stop if he says no.  
>"S...s-sure. Yeah..." he whimpers.  
>It's taking everything in his power not to start moving his hips then and there.  
>He groans when Leni's tongue drags against his ear.  
>"Thank you, Lincoln~" she whispers hotly.  
>She stands back up, giving Lincoln a great view before she grabs his hand.  
>"Hurry, get in!" she urges, dragging him into her room.  
>Lincoln can see Lori laying on Leni's bed.  
>Before he can say anything, Leni clasps her palm over his mouth.  
>"Listen, Lori's...Lori totes needs this, but she's only willing to do this if you do two things," Leni whispers.  
>He nods quietly.  
>Leni raises a finger.  
>"One, don't her look in the eye."  
>Two fingers.  
>"Two, don't talk to her."  
>She pauses for a second, watching him expectantly.  
>With minor hesitation, her little brother nods.  
>"You're, like, a lifesaver, Lincy."  
>Wasting no time, Leni lets go to move to Lori's side.  
>Lincoln can't hear their conversation.  
>He feels cold.  
>He already misses Leni's warmth.  
>Her smothering, heavy, creamy warmth.  
>He sees her wave him over, pointing to the foot of the bed.

>He climbs up silently.  
>Lori rolls over, pulling her legs u-  
>Hello!  
>She's changed her clothes.  
>He recalls only seeing this outfit once, when folding laundry.  
>It did weird things to him then, and as he gently strokes the soft fabric, it's doing things to him now.  
>Leni maneuvers back to him, whispering instructions in his ear.  
>Guiding his hands to Lori's knees.  
>His big sister whimpers softly at his touch, but doesn't resist as he spreads her legs open.  
>Her tights are clipped onto a wet pair of black panties.  
>Leni climbs onto the bed now, pressing herself into his back.  
>"I forgot something important," she whispers huskily.  
>Lincoln groans softly at her voice.  
>The two hard points digging into his back aren't helping.  
>She delicately wraps her arms around him.  
>One hand rubbing his chest and neck.  
>The other hand goes lower, her fingers wrapping tight around his member.  
>"She wanted one more thing..." she continues, pressing harder into his back.   
>He groans louder as she slowly, painfully slowly, strokes him.  
>Lori reaches down to pull her panties to the side.  
>His body feels like its melting from her warmth.  
>"Do you know what she said?" Leni asks.  
>She gently pushes him closer to Lori.  
>He's past her knees.  
>Lori and Lincoln gasp when they make contact.  
>Even through the rubber, he can tell she's soaked.  
>Lincoln shudders when Leni pauses to suckle on his neck.  
>Out of desperation, his hips start trying to push.  
>But Leni's always been much stronger than him.  
>She holds him steady.  
>This is too much for the boy.  
>He's shaking and panting when her mouth approaches his ear again.  
>"Don't stop until she's screaming," she purrs, nipping his ear.  
>"Oh fuck," Lincoln whines.  
>She lets go of him.  
>His hips buck forward.  
>"Oh fuck," Lori hisses in agreement.

>With that thrust, he bottoms out inside Lori.  
>His overwhelmed brain can barely describe the sensations.  
>It's almost identical to Leni, but...somehow completely different at the same time.  
>She's almost as hot as her, too.  
>He can barely breathe.  
>He pushes his torso up to give himself some space.  
>But Leni doesn't give him much room.  
>In no time she's back on top of him.  
>Swamping him with her heat.  
>Leaning her full weight onto him, pushing him down, pinning him between her and Lori.  
>Nestled in his big sisters' bosoms, Lincoln twists his head to get his mouth free.  
>Fortunately, Leni adjusts slightly, so her breasts smoosh into his neck.  
>Panting heavily, with three heartbeats pounding in his head, he can barely hear what Leni says.  
>"Lincoln," she singsongs, pausing to nibble on his ear again.  
>With her weight pushing down on him, and both her and Lori's boiling skins overwhelming him...  
>He can't...he can't breathe.  
>"What are you waiting for...? Can't you feel how badly she wants this?"  
>He can barely focus on her words, much less the delightful jolts shooting up from his wiener.   
>"Come on," Leni whispers again, more demanding.  
>More assertive.  
>She raises her hips to give his some clearance.  
>"Fuck her, Lincoln," she commands, her hand painfully digging into his thigh.  
>This is too much for the poor child.  
>"Fuck her as hard as you can!"  
>Far too much.  
>Lincoln closes his eyes and starts thrusting as hard and as fast as he can.  
>He can faintly hear Lori start to moan.

>He can barely process what's happening.  
>Leni's encouragement and goading, Lori's moaning, the two of them manhandling him.  
>Scratching him, Raking his skin with their nails.  
>It contrasts wonderfully with his sister's lovingly caressing him, gently milking him, coaxing him to release.  
>The combination of contrasting sensations, from the pain, the crushing weight, the pleasure, the begging whispers, and the heat...  
>Oh God, the heat, it feels like he's in a sauna.  
>If his eyes were open, he could see steam rising from the three.  
>He can't take anymore. With a throaty groan, Lincoln slams his hips down one more time, digging his fingers roughly into L...  
>He doesn't even know who he's inside anymore.  
>His brain fried a half hour ago.  
>All he knows is that he must empty into his woman.  
>Lori drags her nails across his scalp, And Leni adds to it by clamping onto his neck again.  
>She lifts off of him, pulling him back to change rubbers as he and Lori catch their breath.  
>Lori lets out a weak protest as her brother springs free from her boiling mound.  
>Ah, that's who he was banging now.  
>The sudden influx of cold air makes him shiver.  
>He watches vacantly as Leni yanks off the condom, inspecting him after callously tossing the filled vacoule away.  
>Stares at his penis, somehow still standing pr...  
>Well, a respectable half-mast, but over a dozen times, the kid gets some credit.  
>Lincoln's penis oozes a thick bead of pearly, beaten but pulsing defiantly before the two unbelievably hot, desperately horny young women.  
>She licks her lips, and the boy watches numbly, as if from a distance, as she leans down, tucking a stray lock of golden fleece behind her ear as she-  
>Lincoln gasps.  
>Oh, oh wow.  
>As Leni coaxes him back to life, his brain finally shuts down, switching to secondary systems.  
>The last thing he hears is Lori's babbling turn into a screech as Leni rolls back over, guiding him into their sister again...

>*Vrrrrmmm...*  
>Lincoln opens his eyes.  
>He closes them again and sleeps.  
>An hour later, he opens them again.  
>Blinks.  
>The blink seems to last well over a minute.  
>Slowly down, and back up, like a rusted garage door.  
>His eyes take in the world, relaying information to a brain with nobody home.  
>It's all playing in slow motion.  
>He just lays there; breathing, seeing, processing.  
>Then, all at once, he wakes up.  
>He's back, baby.  
>He's aware, and aware that he's aware.  
>Questions and confusion flood his mind.  
>'Where am I? What time is it? When did the lights come back on? Where are Lori and Leni? Are they Ok?'  
>He tries to sit up.  
>And notices Lori and Leni flanking him.  
>Wrapping him up in a snuggly cocoon of love and warmth.  
>They're both asleep, their chests rising and falling as they breathe peacefully.  
>Glancing down, he can see they're all naked.  
>Leni's hand rests possessively over his wiener, and Lori's hand is draped over his chest.  
>His hands tingle from being pinned under both their butts.  
>Then he sees the marks.  
>The scratch marks, the thin lances of red, the rings of teeth prints dotting his young body.  
>His eyes flick over to his sisters.  
>Their bodies, too.  
>His eyes widen at the rosy-pink nub almost tickling against his lips.  
>Their naked bodies.  
>He takes a deep breath.  
>And that's when the pain kicks in.  
>Great googly moogly, does he hurt.  
>He's sore all over, the bites and scratches itch, his hands sting with the loss of sense from being buried under mountains of ass.  
>Lincoln struggles to hold back his cries.  
>For fear of waking Lori or Leni. Or Luna.  
>Or mom and dad, if they're home.  
>Oh God, what if mom and dad are home?

>That gets him going.  
>Lincoln starts the long, slow process of worming free of a three-person hug.  
>A cuddle puddle, if you will.  
>He has to stop every time Lori or Leni start waking up.  
>As well as stop to rest, the poor kid's exhausted.  
>It takes him a while, but he does it.  
>Ripping his dead hand from under Leni's buns, he carefully crawls over his slumbering sibling and off the bed.  
>Huh.  
>They must have moved to Lori's bed after everything.  
>Speaking of...  
>Grabbing Lori's phone off the bedstand, he turns it on.  
>5:46 AM.  
>"Mur..."  
>Lincoln turns around at the noise.  
>His sisters are still asleep, but their grumbling is pretty clear they notice the empty space between them.  
>Leni mumbles and fidgets, shifting closer until she wraps Lori in a soft hug.  
>Lori just sighs, entwining her legs with her sister.  
>He feels a twitch when he watches their bosoms mush together.  
>As nice as it is seeing them get along again, and ever more seeing the blondes rub against each other, Lincoln limps towards the bathroom.  
>He needs a shower, and some Advil.  
>And maybe a band-aid.

>Lincoln spends entirely too long in the shower.  
>But the soak and steam does wonders for him.  
>He feels refreshed, and after popping an Advil his soreness quickly disappears.  
>Then he uses almost half of the band-aids in the first aid kit.  
>Ducking into his room for a fresh change of jammies, he threads through the hallway and back towards Lori's room.  
>He stops just short of the door.  
>His sisters are still asleep, wrapped around each other, snoring like pugs.  
>Then he turns around, to the door across from him.  
>He hasn't heard a peep from Luna since he left.  
>A pang of...something strikes him in the heart.  
>What is that? Guilt? Sadness?  
>Why does he feel sad?  
>He didn't disappoint Luna by refusing her sanctuary...did he?  
>Lincoln crosses the short distance to the door.  
>He presses his ear against the wood, trying to hear something, anything.  
>Silence answers back.  
>He raises his fist to knock on the door, then drops it.  
>He wants to talk to Luna.  
>He wants to hug her and tell her that he's alright.  
>That he isn't bothered by what happened.  
>And she shouldn't be mad at her sisters.  
>But he gets a feeling that Luna doesn't want to talk.  
>Lincoln turns back to Lori's room.  
>He looks back, one last time to Luna's room.  
>Then he enters his sisters' bedroom, closing it behind him.  
>Turning off the light, he stumbles over to the bed.  
>He slips back between them, and the sisters quickly accept his presence, untangling themselves to pull him back into his spot.  
>In no time he's enveloped by arms and legs and hugs and kisses.  
>Shortly after he quickly starts to fall asleep.  
>The boiling heat from their escapades has long faded.  
>Now it's just a toasty blanket of safety.  
>Leni mumbles some nonsense as she squeezes her favourite brother, and Lori just holds tight.  
>Closing his eyes one last time, Lincoln slips into his dreams with a sigh.  
>They'll deal with it in the morning, and all that comes of it.  
>Together.

Chapter Seven, Lightbringer  
~Fin~


	8. Pax Accoustica (FINALE)

>Lincoln doesn't dream.  
>At least he doesn't think it's a dream.  
>All he can sense are sensations; sounds, sights, and the odd, half-formed thought process as he slumbers.  
>Even a smell or two.  
>A swirling, oily, all-encompassing fog, as if he pressed his palms into his eyes.  
>The soft fabric, warm and comfy, sliding against his skin.  
>The smell of fresh sheets and the distinct dustiness of a quiet Sunday morning.  
>The quiet, gentle strumming of a guitar somewhere in the house, the location thus far beyond his ability to comprehend.  
>Reflexively, he tenses his arms, loosely hugging his beloved Bun-Bun.  
>Wait, Bun-Bun's in his room.  
>And he isn't in his room.  
>Is he?  
>If Bun-Bun were in his arms, then he wouldn't be in Leni and Lori's-  
>And then Lincoln remembers.  
>Leni.  
>The storm.  
>Lori.  
>The power outages.  
>Both of them.  
>And...him.  
>With a confused, strained groan, the boy cracks his eyes open to the world.  
>"...Mornin'," a sullen, British voice whispers, outside of his field of view.

>"...Luna?" he asks.  
>Well, he tries to at least.  
>But all that comes out of his mouth is a dry, raspy croak.  
>Followed by a string of just as weak coughing.  
>The music immediately stops, and his lavender-clad sister is by his side, patting his shoulders, helping him ride it out.  
>When he calms down after a minute he notices the small glass of water in her hand.  
>With a nod of thanks, he accepts the gift and takes a sip while Luna watches him expectantly.  
>And judging from the fidgeting he can see from his peripheral, she's been waiting to talk for a while.  
>"They're downstairs," Luna blurts out, cutting him off from his first question. "And, uh...and..."  
>She takes his hand in hers, and looks away, towards the open door.  
>Towards her open door across from it.  
>"Just...just come with me, Linc. Ok?"  
>She stares at him imploringly, tugging gently at his wrist.  
>He sees how red her eyes are.  
>"Please? I brought Bun-Bun so...so you can take him with you," she continues, her whisper quickly rising in pitch.  
>Her tone quickly grows more desperate, her tugging turning to yanking.  
>"I'll-I'll keep you safe. C'mon, we can be b-bed buddies! Until mom and dad get h-"  
>"Luna?"

>Luna's pleading face turns to a stone mask when she hears that voice.  
>Straightening up, she whirls around to glare at Leni and Lori.  
>The two eldest Louds stand nervously in the doorway.  
>Leni's carrying a glass full of smoothie and a small bowl of cut fruit in her hands.  
>She looks confused.  
>Luna shifts her position, keeping her body between them and her little brother.  
>Lincoln can't see her face, but he knows how she acts when she's pissed.  
>And holy cow, is she pissed.  
>Lastly, Lori's holding a bowl of hot Alphaghetti.  
>Her face is...  
>Well, she looks like an intern who just found a monkey in the pantry, where all the cupcakes for the Make A Wish kids are.  
>Watching, powerless, as the primate tears into another confectionery.  
>It's a Mexican standoff between three sisters.  
>Looking at the clock, Lincoln notes that it's even five to noon.  
>"Luna?" Leni repeats, tilting her gold-maned head, "what are you doing h-"  
>Luna's hand clasps Lincoln's wrist.  
>The awkward angle tears the last vestiges of sleep from the young boy's mind.  
>"Get out of my way," the girl growls, "he's c-coming with me."  
>"What are you doing...?" Lori asks quietly.  
>Luna's eyes shift to their new target.  
>Lincoln doesn't need to see her face to know she's shooting daggers at her sister.  
>The boy already knows this is going to turn into a fight.  
>And going by how hard she's crushing his poor, abused hand, she's going to start swinging soon.

>"Luna," Lincoln pleads, "Y-you don't have to do this. They didn't hHK!"  
>Luna's crushing fingers stifles any dissent from her .  
>"What did you just say?" she asks, incredulous. "'What am I doing'?"  
>She barks out a short, bitter laugh.  
>"You're...you must be joking, right? L-Lori, you..."  
>She points at her oldest sister.  
>"Let you..."  
>She points at the younger sister.  
>"F...fuck him."  
>She punctuates her charge by yanking her brother against her, crushing him in a side-hug.  
>"L-L-Luna," Lori says cautiously.  
>Her body shrinks down slightly from her sister's aggression.  
>She raises her hands, fingers spread, to show she doesn't want to fight.  
>"Let's...l-let's just slow d-down and, uh, t-"  
>Lori stumbles back when Luna stomps forward and throws her face into hers.  
>"You wanna talk?!" she yells, her face inches from the oldest child. "Ok, yeah! Yeah! Let's talk! Tell me how this great idea of yours worked! You..."  
>Luna roughly jabs a finger into Lori's collarbone, forcing her back a step.  
>"When you caught her t-touching him, you thought it'd be a great - great! - idea to, what was it? Teach them how to fuck?!"

>Lori doesn't answer.  
>She just stares at Luna like a deer in the headlights.  
>Even with his head trapped in the headlock, Lincoln knows that Lori's resolve is about to crumble.  
>He can hear her trying to control her breathing.  
>But Luna can tell, too.  
>And she goes in for the kill.  
>"Let me guess," she snaps, a cruel grin on her face. "Because you and Bobby haven't banged in a while, you thought, 'Hey! We're on a break-'"  
>She mockingly twitches her free fingers to air quote those last words.  
>"'-So it won't be cheating if I get some f-fresh cock!'"  
>Luna leans in, dragging Lincoln with her.  
>Lori trembles at the sheer viciousness of her words, the Alphaghetti almost slopping out of its bowl.  
>Luna's lips almost brush against Lori's as she breathes her coup d'état.  
>"Lincoln was just a r-rebound...wasn't he? Just some fresh, easy-access d-dick for you to get your rocks off."  
>Lori's cheeks are blotchy.  
>Her nose is runny.  
>Her eyes are puffy, and glisten with the guilt of a young woman knowing full what she's done.  
>"...Wasn't he?"

>And Lori goes down.  
>Taking a slow, measured breath through her stuffy nose, Lori tenderly lays the bowl of lunch on Leni's bare mattress.  
>Then, spinning on her heel, she struts out of the room.  
>They could almost hear her muffled sobs as she flees for the lower level.  
>Lincoln knows exactly what Luna's doing.  
>He's seen her do this before, at a concert once.  
>He knows that she knows she's not as strong as Leni in a straight fight, or as cunning as Lori.  
>Hell, she's not even as dirty a fighter as Luan.  
>But what she's known for is kicking someone when they're down.  
>"Luna-" he mutters, pulling as hard as he can at her arm, wrapped around his neck.  
>She will kick until something gives.  
>"LORELEI LINDSAY LOUD!" She bellows, her voice booming down the hallway.  
>And she will keep kicking until they stop moving.  
>The three siblings in Leni's room can hear their oldest sister stumble at the surprise shouting.  
>"Stop it, Luna!" Lincoln cries out, now pushing against her side, to pop his head free.  
>He's desperate to break it up.  
>He can't bear to see his sisters fight.  
>But this?  
>This isn't a fight.  
>No, this...  
>"I AM ASHAMED OF YOU!"  
>This is an execution.  
>Silence.  
>Then, with a strangled wail, Lori can be heard running down the stairs, her sobbing snuffing out as couch's springs suddenly screech from her dive.

>And three becomes two.  
>Luna turns to stare down Leni.  
>Her last obstacle to sanctuary.  
>"You," the rocker whispers venomously, "get out of my way."  
>Leni doesn't budge.  
>She hasn't said a word the entire time Luna ripped Lori apart.  
>And now she coolly meets her sister's stare.  
>Lincoln can't believe any of this.  
>Several questions race through his head.  
>What is going on?  
>Why won't Luna just talk to them?  
>Is Lori Ok?  
>Why didn't Leni come to her aid?  
>Why is she just standing there?  
>Does Luna think she can do this a second time?  
>"Luna!" he shouts, his temper now starting to flare up. "What are you doing?! Let me go!"  
>"I'm not w-warning you again," Luna snaps, taking a step closer to the door.  
>Leni doesn't budge.  
>She doesn't respond to any of her sister's threats.  
>She just...watches them.  
>"LENI!" Lincoln screams, finally having enough. "DO SOMETHING!"  
>"It'll be Ok, Lincoln!" Luna shouts back, grabbing him by the shoulders to look him in the eye. "We're almost home f-"  
>"LET ME G-"  
>"Luna?"  
>The two Louds freeze in the middle of their shouting match, both heads turning to look at the remaining sister.  
>Seeing that she has an audience now, Leni continues.  
>She still has a calm look on her face.  
>But something's different.  
>"Luna, how long..."  
>She pauses to lick her lips.  
>"How long have you loved him?"

>Luna feels the boiling blood in her cheeks drain into her stomach.  
>Every last drop.  
>"Of...of course I love 'im!" she counters, pulling Lincoln's resisting body into a hug. "W-why do you think I'm trying to get him to safety?"  
>Leni shakes her head.  
>"Luna, you know what I mean."  
>She flashes a calm, friendly smile.  
>"Luna, it's Ok," Leni repeats, taking a step forward, reaching out to brush her fingers across her sister's cheek. "You can talk to me. Don't be afraid."  
>Luna feels her body break into a cold sweat.  
>She suddenly finds it hard to breathe.  
>She's run out of steam.  
>Lincoln stops struggling against her grip.  
>She can feel his eyes bore into her.  
>Studying her face, gauging her body language.  
>"I..."  
>Luna has to swallow hard to clear her throat.  
>Her voice is much, much smaller now.  
>Her knees are practically knocking together.  
>"I won't...I won't t-tell mom and d-dad," she stutters. "Just...just let us go. Please."  
>She's so close.  
>Just ten more steps.  
>And he'll be safe.  
>So close.  
>"Luna."  
>The rocker screws her eyes shut at his voice.  
>Please.  
>"I don't want you to fight."  
>Her tired muscles tense up as Lincoln wraps his arms around her waist, returning the hug.  
>Please no.  
>Then Leni moves in for the kill.  
>She joins the hug, embracing her two younger siblings in a now-patented Leni Lock.  
>"It's alright, Luna. Let's...just stop. Please."  
>Luna's too tired to push her away.  
>All she can do is fall to her knees.  
>Hold her brother tight.  
>And weep.

>Leni rests her cheek against Luna's shoulder blade, closing her eyes and humming softly while stroking her hair.  
>Luna sobs pitifully, sputtering apologies to Lincoln, to Lori, to Leni, anyone her exhausted mind could think to apologize to.  
>Lincoln struggles to avoid being crushed by two girls much heavier than him.  
>After a few moments, Luna starts to calm down.  
>Having long stopped resisting Leni's embrace, her blubbering turns into sniffling and whimpering.  
>Which is when Leni strikes.  
>Hoisting the other two up, she easily pries the rocker off of the boy, and taking her hand, leads her out of the room.  
>"Lincoln," she calls, glancing behind her before she leaves. "Eat your lunch, and go find Lori. Tell her to come up, we'll be right back."  
>When she sees him nod, she smiles pleasantly, as if nothing happened, and escorts a red-eyed Luna into the bathroom.  
>The door closes, and Lincoln draws the deepest breath his small lungs could hold, and with an equally deep sigh, lifts himself onto his feet.  
>"Sisters, man," he mutters to nobody.  
>Flexing his hand to check for damage, he then sits down on Leni's bed, and picks up the small bowl of now lukewarm noodles.  
>He has to eat fast, though.  
>He doesn't know how long Leni and Luna will be in the bathroom, and he can still hear Lori crying now and again.  
>Taking a sip of melted smoothie and popping an apple slice into his mouth, Lincoln Loud gets to work.

>Luna quietly shuffles into the bathroom, shepherded by Leni.  
>Closing the door, the older girl's soft face quickly hardens in the mirror.  
>Before Luna can react, Leni leans back and deftly smacks her upside the back of her head.  
>"Ow! Leni, wh-"  
>Turning around, Luna flinches when she see the finger angrily shake in her face.  
>"Do you have any idea how long it took me to get Lori to calm down?" Leni snaps.  
>"Uh?" Luna replies.  
>Leni takes a breath to answer, but pauses.  
>Then pulls her hand back.  
>"We...six...no, wait, we got up at six-forty..."  
>Then rubs her chin while the gears slowly tick in her head.  
>Aside from the light dripping from the tub and the odd creaking from the house, the bathroom is quiet.  
>Quiet enough for Luna to start feeling more awkward than guilty.  
>"...Four and a half hours," she answers glumly, sitting down on the toilet and resting her chin on her palms.  
>Leni counts her fingers, then slowly nods.  
>"Yeah...yeah, that's about right."  
>Then she realizes what Luna said.  
>"Wait, how did you know that?" she asks.  
>Luna knows better than to keep this going.  
>"...I've been listening to you through the wall," she says with a sigh.  
>Now Leni felt doubt creeping in.  
>"For how long?"  
>Luna looks away, wiping a stray tear from her eye.  
>"Just before Lori came home," she confesses, "last night."  
>Leni feels her cheeks brighten at the implications.  
>"So you heard...?"  
>"Everything," Luna says, "everything, yeah."  
>Silence fills the room again as Leni considers her options.  
>She didn't see many, but honestly, she didn't really plan this far ahead.  
>This is usually Lori's forte.

>"And, uh," Leni pauses to run her fingers through her hair, "how did hearing all that make you feel?"  
>Luna looks away again, but this time doesn't bother wiping her eye.  
>"I...I wished it were me," she admits quietly, before before sniffing loudly. "I hate feeling this."  
>"Why do you say that?" Leni inquires, turning on the the sink to soak a cloth.  
>"Why do I s-"  
>Luna turns to stare at Leni.  
>"Leni, are you for real? I shouldn't have these feelings. N-none of us should."  
>Leni doesn't answer immediately.  
>She kneels down beside her sister, cloth in hand, and gently starts washing her face clean.  
>She leaves the sink running, letting the room fill with steam.  
>"Answer something for me," Leni says, rinsing the cloth before focusing on Luna's neck.   
>"Muh?" Luna mumbles, relaxing into the soft, wet fabric.  
>"When did you start feeling this? Shirt, please."  
>Pulling back, she gives Luna the room to lift her shirt up and over her head.  
>And the cloth is back, massaging the stress out of the girl's body with each pass.  
>"I was...eleven. It was after the concert," Luna mumbles. "My first concert. Nobody...no one took me seriously when I said I wanted to be a rocker."  
>"Except Lincoln?" Leni guesses.  
>"Except Lincoln," Luna answers, letting out a pleasant sigh when the cloth starts massaging her collarbone.  
>"He was the only one who supported me," she continues, wiping more tears from her eyes. "He...he encouraged me to follow my heart."  
>She shakes her head, but this time there's a smile on her face.  
>"He loved everything I wrote, helped me learn music, and...well..."  
>Leni interrupts her with a soft kiss to the forehead.  
>"And he helped me get over my fear of storms," she whispers. "And he's going to help Lori, too."  
>Luna whimpers when Leni kisses her again, this time on the lips, at the same time the cloth goes lower.  
>To her chest.

>"Listen," Leni says, slowly massaging her sister's chest, "I'm not greedy. I'm willing to share Lincoln if it makes him happy."  
>She stops talking, and waits for Luna to open her eyes.  
>Seeing the flash of blue, she continues.  
>"But only if you're willing to share, too."  
>And now Leni doubles her efforts.  
>"You hurt me this morning, you know."  
>Luna's lip twitches.  
>The doubt starts creeping in.  
>The uncertainty.  
>"You hurt Lori more. Up."  
>The guilt.  
>"Come on, up," Leni repeats, tapping Luna's knee.  
>With shaky legs, Luna obeys, raising to her feet for Leni to unlatch her skirt.  
>Before she can sit down, though, Leni slips in behind her, pulling her down ontop of the bigger girl.  
>"So here's the deal," Leni whispers in her ear.  
>She taps Luna's legs, easily goading them to spread wider.  
>"After this, I'm going to help you with your makeup."  
>The cloth returns, fresh and warm, to rub at Luna's tense thighs.  
>"And when we leave, Lori will be in our room."  
>Luna's breathing hitches when the cloth creeps higher.  
>Steadily higher.  
>"Le-Leni-"  
>"And you are going to apologize to your big sister," Leni breathes, stopping to kiss her ear. "And tell her you love her. And if you say no..."  
>Luna groans in protest when the warm cloth disappears.  
>Which turns into a squeal when Leni's fingers brush against her inner legs.  
>"You don't get your pie," Leni warns. "Deal?"  
>Luna's breathing heavily now.  
>She feels like she's on fire.  
>She tries to lean back into Leni's frame.  
>To push her hips higher.  
>To get her sister's fingers higher.  
>But Leni easily holds her down.  
>"Do we have a deal?" she repeats softly.  
>"...Y...yes," Luna whimpers.  
>"Good."  
>Luna moans softly when Leni's teeth nip into her ear.  
>She moans louder when her fingers trail up, digging teasingly into her panty's elastic.  
>"Now, stand up again, real quick. Let's get these things off of you..."

>Fifteen minutes ago.  
>Lincoln wipes his mouth, fully sated.  
>That was a nice lunch, if a little late to the party.  
>He places the now-empty bowl and glass onto Leni's nightstand, to prevent spilling anything onto her mattress.  
>Speaking of Leni, though...  
>He looks over at the clock, his face passive.  
>12:17 PM.  
>He then looks at the open door, his face more apprehensive.  
>Leni and Luna have been gone for almost ten minutes now.  
>Stretching and getting up, he leans out the door and looks a the closed bathroom.  
>He would try to listen through the door, but the water's been running the entire time.  
>And Leni's got a sixth sense for when someone's peeping.  
>...Wait.  
>Lincoln narrows his eyes.  
>Did he...  
>He rubs his chin.  
>He feels like he forgot something...  
>"A huh huhhuh...."  
>He can hear a soft, weak sobbing flutter up from downstairs.  
>And then it hits him.  
>"Oh jeez, Lori, that's right!" he hisses.  
>And down the hall he goes.

>Practically throwing himself down the stairs, Lincoln looks into the living room first.  
>Empty, like the empty cartons of pomegranate and rainbow sherbet littering the couch.  
>Lincoln grumbles in frustration.  
>Getting up, he jogs into the living room, past the mess, and into mom and dad's room.  
>Empty.  
>Closet too.  
>Walking back towards the stairs, he turns the corner, passes Lori, and enters the ki-  
>He freezes beside the kiddy table.  
>That was fast.  
>Walking back out, he watches Lori for a few seconds.  
>Face buried in her arms.  
>Her wild golden hair splayed everywhere.  
>Another...two tubs of orange sherbet melting in front of her.  
>Where did she find all these?  
>Shaking his head, Lincoln tentatively approaches his oldest sister.  
>"Lori...?" he calls gently, reaching slowly.  
>Lori's always been a little high maintenance.  
>But right now she's a veritable powder keg filled with ball bearings in a paint mixer.  
>She shuffles in her seat, trying to scoot her away from her brother's hand.  
>But the thing's on carpet.  
>So no such luck.  
>Lincoln lightly taps her shoulder, resting his fingertips on her blouse.  
>She stops scooting, and the house becomes silent again.  
>Lincoln, eyes screwed shut, quietly counts to ten, fearing for his safety along the way.  
>When he gets to fifteen, he cracks an eye open and peeks at his sister.  
>She's still sniffling, but she hasn't moved.  
>And his fingers are still attached.  
>That's a definite plus.  
>"Lori?" he tries again, taking a little itty-bitty step towards her.  
>"Leni..."  
>He pauses to swallow the hard lump in his throat.  
>"Leni asked me to...bring you upstairs."  
>Lori doesn't answer at first.  
>Then...  
>"Please, huh, go away," she whispers back, muffled under hair and arm. "J-just, huh...please guh-go."

Alright.  
>No.  
>He's not putting up with this.  
>"Lori," he tries again, this time his straining to contain his annoyance.  
>"Leni."  
>He stops and stares at her, waiting for her to register his words.  
>"L-Leni...?" she repeats.  
>Good.  
>"Is dealing. With Luna."  
>He waits again, this time getting a nod slightly faster than before.  
>"Now," he says, a patronizing, sarcastic grin on his face, "Leni told me, to get you, and take you upstairs."  
>Another pause.  
>He pets her hair, smoothing some of her razzled gold strands.  
>Another nod.  
>"And if Leni comes out of the bathroom."  
>Pause.  
>Nod.  
>"And she doesn't see us in your room."  
>No need for a pause this time.  
>Lori nods instantly, worry growing on her face.  
>Lincoln's, however, loses the smile.  
>He scowls at his sister.  
>His oldest sibling.  
>His newfound lover.  
>His beloved pain in the butt.  
>"She's going to come down and bring you up herself."  
>Lori's eyes flick between Lincoln's eyes and mouth.  
>Then further down, from the firm, buck-toothed line.  
>Down to the faint scratches she could see peeking from under his shirt.  
>Her scratches.  
>Lori buries her face back into her arms, panting loudly, terrified.  
>Lincoln groans loudly, running his hand through his hair in frustration.  
>Alright, that's it.  
>Plan B.  
>"Lori?" Lincoln singsongs.  
>"Go away."  
>Lincoln turns to leave.  
>"Do you remember Bobby's phone number by heart?"  
>He doesn't need to look behind him to know she's poked out of her shell.  
>"Buh-Bobby boo-boo...Bobby? Nuh...no?"  
>Lincoln takes a step up, his face neutral.  
>"And...his address?"  
>"...N-no?"  
>Jackpot.  
>"Well, Lori," Lincoln says, glaring at her, "you left your phone upstairs."  
>He's halfway up the staircase.  
>"And if you aren't in there, with me, by the time I count to ten..."  
>His chest disappears past the ceiling.  
>"I'm going to delete everything about him from your phone."

>"YOU-"  
>That gets her attention.  
>"YUH-YUH-YOU"  
>There's a loud crash as Lori kicks the chair out into the wall.  
>"YOU WOULDN'T."  
>She's at the foot of the stairs.  
>Lincoln ignores her.  
>"One."  
>Lori takes a step up the stair, before stopping.  
>"You...you don't even kn-kn-know my password!" she calls up.  
>He glances down at her.  
>She glares up indignantly.  
>Man.  
>She really doesn't want to come up.  
>Lincoln fakes a yawn.  
>"Four-one-four-three," he retorts.  
>Lori's face falls flat.  
>"Two."  
>"Lincoln!" she cries, dropping to her knees.   
>Lincoln notices how raspy her voice sounds.  
>"I-I can't...Why are you doing this?"  
>"Because I am tired of this!" he shouts back.  
>Seeing Lori shrink from his outburt, he continues.  
>"I am tired of you and Leni and Luna - and Luna! - acting all weird with me!"  
>"But-" Lori tries to say.  
>Nope.  
>"I'm not done!" he shouts, "I'm tired of you fighting! All of you fighting!"  
>He stomps on the floor, ignoring the brief flush embarrassment.  
>Even though he's mad, he knows he look like a brat doing that.  
>But he can't stop.  
>"I am sick of you fighting each other! I don't want you fighting over me!"  
>He waves his sore hand at her.  
>"And I am definitely sick of getting hurt trying to break it up!"  
>Lori falters at that last bit, hanging her head as his words dig in to her already low self esteem.  
>"Now," he states, his voice firm.  
>"You are going to come up here, and we-Lorelei, look at me!"  
>Lori's hair flicks up as her eyes raise to meet his.  
>"We are going to your room, and we are going to wait. For Leni. To come back. Is that clear."  
>But even after the shame-infused browbeating, Lori still falters.  
>"But..." she whimpers, her fingers tapping against the banister.  
>"FIVE!"  
>"Wait, wh-"  
>"EIGHT!"

>"Ni-igh?!"  
>Lori roughly shoves Lincoln aside, easily knocking the younger boy to the ground as she sprints into her room.  
>He's not even on his knees before the door slams shut and locks.  
>How in the world did that woman run upstairs that fast?  
>Lincoln, shaking his head, fishes into his pocket.  
>No matter.  
>He can hear a loud crash and a desperate shriek through the wood.  
>"Four-one-four-three," he mumbles, dragging his finger along the screen.  
>He's done playing.  
>Lori's door opens.  
>It slowly creaks open.  
>Lori shuffles out.  
>Her head is down.  
>Her hands are drawn up.  
>"Six hundred photos of Bobby," Lincoln dictates.  
>She stops right in her tracks.  
>"Nine hundred photos of you AND Bobby."  
>Lori's hands raise to press against her face.  
>She tips over, her shoulder slack against the drywall.  
>"Five hun...wait, that's a comma..."  
>Lincoln quickly counts the messages.  
>"Five thousand, one hundred and twenty-two texts?"  
>Lincoln stares, gobsmacked, at his wreck of a sister.  
>"You've known the man for four months, Lori. Oh my God."  
>"You win."  
>Lincoln blinks.  
>"You win, Ok? Let's just go..." she croak, pulling off a fairly solid impression of Lucy.  
>Lincoln rolls his eyes, and with a quick dusting of his pants, is back on his feet.  
>Taking Lori's hand, he guides her back to her room.  
>He feels bad breaking her down like that.  
>Actually, now that he looks at the state she's in...  
>He feels really bad.  
>"Lori?" he asks gently, watching her close the door behind them.  
>She doesn't answer.  
>She just stands there.  
>Waiting at the door.  
>"Lori, I didn't...here."  
>He offers Lori her device.  
>"I didn't delete anything, Ok?"  
>She doesn't budge.  
>Lincoln sighs.  
>"I'm...I'm sorry I yelled at you. You...didn't deserve that."  
>Still holding the phone, he wraps his around her waist.  
>Hoping a hug would snap her out of it.  
>"I love you. You know that, right?"  
>Lori shifts uneasily at the unwanted contact.  
>But she doesn't push him away.

>Lincoln feels his arms stretch as his sister takes a deep, slow breath.  
>Then, her hands creep down to touch his hair.  
>Just as slowly, she lowers herself to her knees.  
>Her cheek sticks against his as her arms snake under his.  
>"I love you too, Lincoln," Lori whispers into his ear.  
>He can feel her tears run down between their cheeks.  
>"I...I love you so much."  
>Her voice is an octave deeper.  
>She can't seem to raise it higher than a loud whisper.  
>Her voice has given out on her.  
>Lincoln moves his arms to her shoulder blades, rubbing small circles against her knots.  
>His eyes scan the room for something.   
>"I'm sorry," she croaks. "I'm so, so sorry."  
>Her grip tightens as she takes another wavering breath.  
>Oh no, she's about to cry again.  
>"Lori, don't cry anymore," Lincoln pleads quietly.  
>He squeezes as tight as he can, still trying to rub out the knots.  
>"It's Ok. You aren't in trouble. Just...enough tears, alright? Here."  
>He slowly pushes her up, using his body as a crutch.  
>"Your bed's comfier than the floor."  
>Passing the vanity mirror, Lincoln finally spies what he was looking for.  
>Reaching quickly, he plucks the comb off Leni's dresser as he escorts her to her mattress.  
>To Help her feel comfortable, Lincon wraps her in her comforter, and supports her back with some pillows.  
>Then he gives her her phone back.  
>Getting behind her, Lincoln starts with a quick shoulder rub.  
>Then he picks up the comb, and gets to work on the gold mess above Lori's neck.  
>A few minutes in, he decides to take a quick peek over her shoulder.  
>She's in her albums.  
>Pictures of her and Bobby.  
>He knows better than to stick his nose where it doesn't belong.  
>But if it'll help...  
>"Lori?" he asks softly, smoothing out another portion of blonde hair.  
>"...Hmm?" she grunts, her thoughts somewhere else  
>Well, in for a penny...  
>"...What happened with Bobby, exactly? At that party?"  
>Lori answers faster than he expects.  
>"Do you remember a girl named...Verity St. Pierre?"

>Lori tells him everything.  
>The party.  
>The fight with Bobby.  
>The near-brawl with Verity.  
>Her history with Verity, and his too.  
>Then a short break.  
>Lincoln fetches her a glass of water for her throat.  
>she talks about the meeting she had with Bobby yesterday.  
>He agreed to a break between the two lovebirds.  
>But on two conditions.  
>First, that she tell Lincoln everything that happened.  
>Secondly, deliver a message for his little bro.  
>That he was sorry, and he made a horrible mistake.  
>He was taken advantage of, yes, but he should have waited for his babe.  
>If Lincoln hates him after hearing this, so be it.  
>But don't stop being friends with Ronnie Anne because of him.  
>After that, the two siblings cuddle with each other, until Lori conks out.  
>Tuckered out as well, Lincoln lays back, resting his head against her shoulder.  
>He closes his eyes, listening to Lori's heartbeat...

>"...doesn't hurt, does it?"  
>Lincoln stretches sleepily, rubbing his head against the two pillows under him.  
>Mumbling, the boy hugs the giant, slender arms of Bun-Bun, trying to urge himself back to sleep.  
>And then Bun-Bun squeezes back.  
>And snores.  
>Lincoln's eyes crack open.  
>Flicking around, taking stock.  
>Lori and Leni's room.  
>Lori's bed.  
>Lori's missing.  
>Wait.  
>He realizes the mattress beneath him is breathing.  
>Lori's breasts swell slightly with each snore, pressing warmly against his head.  
>No wonder he feels so comfy.  
>Lori's heartbeat thumps calmly against the back of his head.  
>But Lincoln's ears strain, trying to figure out what's changed.  
>...It's the water.  
>The water's stopped running.  
>"It shouldn't hurt too much if he's gentle," a voice says from the hallway, "just...try not to overexcite him. He, uh...he'll bite."  
>Now he's fully awake.  
>Pulling himself free from Lori's embrace, Lincoln stumbles out of her bed just as Leni knocks on the door.  
>"Lori? Can we come in?"

>Quickly rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Lincoln straightens his shirt and unlocks the door.  
>"Stay here for a second, Luna."  
>Leni pushes the door open, peering in at her roommate and lover.  
>She leans down to plant a soft kiss on his cheek.  
>He feels his heart swell from the act.  
>He forgot how sweet she is.  
>"Thanks for being so patient, Lincy~" she coos.  
>Then she looks behind him, at the still-prone Lori.  
>She cocks an eyebrow.  
>"I...would have preferred she be awake, though."  
>She looks back at Lincoln, her eyebrows scrunched in worry.  
>"What happened?"  
>Lincoln tugs at his collar, lowering his gaze out of habit.  
>"She told me about the party."  
>Leni's face scrunches into cringe.  
>"And...Verity, too, huh?"  
>Lincoln just nods.  
>Leni reaches down and pets his soft hair.  
>"Oh, Lincy...I'm sorry. We should have told you together."  
>She straightens up, and pushes through the door.  
>"Stay here, Luna. I'll talk to Lori first. Don't want her to, like, have a heart attack."  
>Ruffling his hair again, Leni passes Lincoln and beelines for her big sister.  
>"Lori...Lori~" Leni calls quietly, punctuating each name drop with a feathery kiss to Lori's face.  
>And a tiny puff of air for good measure.  
>Lori quickly starts to fuss from the teasing.  
>Lincoln turns away from the show to look at Luna.  
>She keeps her eyes firmly locked onto Lola and Lana's room.  
>Shifting her weight back and forth on her feet, her left arm stretches straight down, clutching the hem of her skirt.  
>Her right hand wraps around her own waist and clutches her elbow.  
>The blush on her face creeps down past her neck.  
>He's about to greet her when Leni calls out.  
>"Ok, Luna, you can come in now."  
>Luna takes only two steps before Leni's in front of her.  
>Lincoln can hear her whisper.  
>"remember the deal."  
>Luna nods, and with rubber legs plums over to Lori.  
>Leni turns to Lincoln.  
>She motions towards the door, taking his hand.  
>"They could use some privacy," she whispers.

>Closing the door behind them, Leni leans down to hug her little man.  
>"I missed you," she breathes, her hands slipping up his shirt to explore his skin.  
>She kisses his cheek, sighing happily as she rests her chin on his head.  
>"I missed you too, Leni."  
>Lincoln returns the hug.  
>His hands slip down to her hips.  
>But he knows she wants something.  
>"So what did you do about Luna?"  
>He reaches up to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear.  
>"The same thing I did last night with Lori, silly," she mumbles, rubbing her cheek against his palm.  
>She pulls him closer, peppering his lips with kisses before pressing hard.  
>Lincoln accepts the kiss, melting into her embr  
>He squeaks in surprise when he feels her hand squeeze him down there.  
>"Listen," Leni whispers, pulling back to look her brother in the eye. "Luna needs you right now, Ok?"  
>Lincoln pants from the combination of the makeout and the massage she's giving him.  
>"Uh...uh huh," he grunts, leaning into her shoulder.  
>"But she's scared, Lincy. She's very scared, and needs you to be there for her."  
>Leni hugs him again, squeezing him as hard as his little bunny body can take.  
>"Go to your room, be gentle," she instructs.  
>She taps him lightly on the nose.  
>"And no biting."  
>She leans back to peek into her room.  
>"Luna, are you done? Come on, it's time."  
>Hefting herself up, she plays with Lincoln's hair while Luna finishes talking to Lori.  
>A few seconds later, a red-faced girl in lavender stumbles out.  
>Her knees are shaking.  
>"Remember what I told you," Leni whispers in her ear, grabbing her hand.  
>She gives it a squeeze for luck, before passing it to Lincoln.  
>"Go get her, tiger," she whispers to her brother, playfully patting his bum to get them going.  
>She goes inside her and Lori's room, trusting all will go well.

>"How'd it go?" Leni asks, sitting down beside Lori.  
>Lori looks down at the floor, kicking her feet absentmindedly.  
>"She said she was sorry for what she said."  
>"That's it?"  
>"And that she loves me."  
>Leni leans over and rests her head on her sister's shoulder.  
>"A lot has happened, huh?"  
>Lori tilts her head to press against Leni's.  
>"Yeah."  
>"A lot's changed."  
>"Yeah..."  
>"But we'll get through it, Lori. We all have each other."  
>Lori closes her eyes.  
>She just sits there, with her sister, listening to the house settle.  
>"You told him about Bobby, huh?"  
>"Hmm."  
>"Feel better about that?"  
>"...Hmm."  
>Lori feels Leni's fingers creep against her own, wriggling into the spaces between to hold her hand.  
>She hasn't felt this at peace in months.  
>"You know," Leni whispers coyly.  
>Lori can tell she's grinning.  
>She just knows it.  
>"We're gonna have to sit down and talk about a proper Lincy-time schedule."  
>Lori can't help but chuckle at the audacity of it all.  
>She helped guide her and him on their first time.  
>Then got roped into a threesome.  
>And just a moment ago gave her blessing to Luna to have her turn.  
>"He is going to have such an ego once he's in high school," Lori says, the faintest hint of a smile on her lips.  
>She peeks down at the golden mane beside her.  
>Craning her head down, their lips meet in a chaste kiss.  
>"I call Fridays."  
>Leni snorts.  
>Stretching her neck, she returns the kiss, pushing her tongue into Lori's mouth.  
>Reaching up, Leni strokes her cheek before breaking away.  
>"Wednesdays," she giggles back.

>Lincoln leads Luna down the hall.  
>She tries to walk as slow as possible, but he forces her to keep pace.  
>Every now and again, Luna has to stop and regain her composure.  
>And every time, Lincoln holds her and lets her calm down before continuing.  
>"Are you and Lori good now?" he asks, trying to lighten the mood.  
>Luna simply nods her head, keeping her eyes pointing straight down the hall.  
>Towards his door.  
>Feelings herself grow smaller as the frame grew larger before her.  
>Eventually, there's only so much she can stall before they're there.  
>She's scared.  
>Her sweaty hand clutches his.  
>She tries to squeeze his palm.  
>He calmly squeezes back.  
>Luna swallows her nerves and forces herself to look at him.  
>Lincoln calmly smiles back at her.  
>She can't help but feel swallowed up by the seas of blue.  
>The muse to many of her songs.  
>The source of many of her fantasies.  
>She's scared out of her mind.  
>She smiles back at him.  
>Lincoln squeezes her hand again.  
>This time Luna squeezes back.  
>But she trusts him.  
>Time slows down for a moment when his free hand reaches up.  
>A small, quiet voice whispers in her mind.  
>You can take him now.  
>Run downstairs and out the door.  
>Hide out at Tabby's house.  
>You can do it.  
>You can still save him.  
>But Luna pushes the thoughts aside.  
>His fingers wrap around the doorknob.  
>She trusts him.  
>Lincoln twists, and pushes.  
>She loves him.  
>He turns to look at her again.  
>How can his eyes be so blue.  
>She loves him so much.  
>Luna follows Lincoln into his room.  
>The door shuts quietly behind them.

Epiogue: Pax Acoustica  
Stormbringer  
~Fin~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this entirely because I promised someone I would expand on Luna.  
> Consider this one a loose canon.  
> Take it or leave, that's on you.


End file.
